Police vehicle bombed after Jamaat threat

Nine police constables were injured in Rajshahi on Thursday when the vehicle they were riding was bombed by Opposition supporters within half an hour after a Jamaat-e-Islami leader made a threat from a rally in the city.

The bomb attack took place around 12pm at the city's Rajahata Loknath School intersection after an agitation rally of the 18-Party alliance.

Boalia Police Station OC Ziaur Rahman Zia said prior to that attack, metropolitan Jamaat unit’s Assistant Secretary Mainul Islam threatened police at the Opposition rally at the city’s Bhubon Monhon Park.

Mainul Islam said, “Police will be resisted if the 'march for democracy is obstructed.”

He also dared the law enforcers to face them after taking their uniforms off.

The Jamaat leader also threatened that there would be ‘mass explosions at intersections’ if leaders and activists of the Opposition coalition were arrested.

Local leaders of the 18-Party alliance including the BNP’s central leader and Rajshahi Mayor Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul also spoke at that rally.

OC Zia said police detained 29 suspected Opposition activists in the day in Rajshahi City before the rally over suspicion that acts of sabotage could be carried out from their procession and rally.

According to witnesses, Opposition activists were returning after taking out a procession when a handmade bomb was hurled at the police truck parked nearby.

The bomb exploded at the back of the truck and left nine police constables injured, Zia said adding that Opposition activists fled the scene right away.

One of the injured, Constable ‘Siddhartha’, has been sent to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka. The others injured, constables Ananda, Touhid, Shahriar, Majid, Raihan, Rafi, Sohel and Asad have been admitted to Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital.

Rajshahi City saw a wave of violence, especially directed at police, recently during the alliance’s general strikes and nationwide blockades. Explosions caused by Jamaat’s student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir activists blew both the wrists off a policeman on Mar 31.

Another police official was severely injured on Apr 1 after he had his head smashed with a helmet and bricks by Jamaat supporters who also snatched away his weapon.

A police vehicle was torched on Dec 2 at the city’s Court Station intersection. A policeman received bullet injuries during clashes.

Opposition activists also attacked police on Dec 10 at Binodpur Bazar near Rajshahi University and broke the leg of Motihar Police Station OC Abdul Majid.

Five other policemen were also injured in that attack.

9 policemen injured in bomb attack