Thana bombed, train torched on strike-eve

Two policemen were injured in a bomb attack on Rajshahi’s Boalia Police Station while a train was set on fire in Mymensingh Railway Station on Tuesday night on the eve of 36-hour shutdown.

The BNP and its allies including the Jamaat-e-Islami are set to enforce the countrywide general strike from 6am on Wednesday. Ahead of general strikes, political parties resort to widespread vandalism and arson to drive fear into people to make them stay indoors and claim the stike call successful.

Rajshahi’s Boalia Model Police Station Officer in-Charge Ziaur Rahman Zia said five crude bombs were hurled in from outside the eastern walls at around 8:20pm.

”Constables Firoz Uddin and Dabir Uddin were injured. One of the bombs directly hit Firoz Uddin.”

Firoz Uddin was admitted to Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital in critical condition, OC said. Dabir was given primary aid.

All police stations and outposts under Rangpur range have been put on alert after the incident, Rangpur Range Police’s Deputy Inspector General Iqbal Bahar told bdnews24.com.

Suspected pro-shutdown supporters set fire to an empty carriage of a train in Mymensingh Railway Station at around 8pm, eyewitnesses said.

One coach of Bangabandhu Express was gutted in the fire and two other coaches were damaged, Mymensingh Railway Station Superintendent Abu Taher said.

Two fire fighting units put out the fire after an hour’s efforts.

Taher and the Kotwali Model Police Station OC blamed shutdown supporters for the arson.

The Bangabandhu Express was scheduled to depart from Mymensingh at 9:00pm. *The train arrived at the station around 7:00pm”.