Violence rocked parts of the country on the first day of the nationwide 48-hour blockade called by the Opposition in protest against the election schedule announced by the Election Commission.
Published : 27 Nov 2013, 12:44 AM
Acts of sabotage hit the railways, while seven people, including a BGB trooper, were killed and many others injured in arson attacks and clashes.
Nearly 50 cars have been burnt and a host of them damaged, while petrol bombs have left several people writhing with burn injuries.
The Opposition took to the streets immediately after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the 10th parliamentary polls on Monday evening.
At least two persons were killed on Monday night as Opposition activists went on the rampage bursting homemade bombs.
Taken together, nine people died in the 24 hours starting Monday evening.
The high human toll taken by successive general strikes called by the Opposition in the recent past had prompted the UN and the international community to express concern, while ordinary people hoped for a solution to the contentious issue of the nature of the polls-time government.
But instead of inching closer to a solution, the crisis only deepened, prompting six eminent person from the civil society to meet President Abdul Hamid on Tuesday evening to seek his intervention.
Both the government and Opposition blamed each other for the anarchy while the 14-Party alliance urged the law enforcing agencies to act far more sternly.
Of the seven people who lost their lives in the clashes on Monday, three were ordinary individuals who had no connection with politics.
In Comilla, a BGB personnel was shot dead when he tried to contain Opposition violence.
A Juba League leader and a member of the Volunteer force were killed in Satkhira. In Bogura, a Chhatra Dal leader was killed.
On Monday, a rickshawpuller was run over by a bus when tried to get away in a hurry from a barrage of bomb blasts, while a Chhatra Dal activist was killed in Comilla in string of bomb explosions.