The clashes left three ruling alliance leaders and activists killed, over 500 injured, and hundreds of houses and vehicles ransacked and torched. Two women also died in a road accident at Jatrabari during the rampage.

Even senior ministers and lawmakers of the four-party alliance were also not spared as their houses and offices came under attacks during yesterday's rampage in Dhaka and in many other districts.

The dead are Advocate Habib Ullah, vice-president of Brahmanbaria district unit of BNP, Ruhul Amin, a Rokon of Gazipur district unit of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, and Khoda Newaz Chowdhury, whose identity could not be ascertained.

Thousands of Awami League and 14-party coalition activists came out on the streets yesterday evening to gain pre-emptive control of their respective localities and to show off muscle immediately after the prime minister's address to the nation at 7:00pm.

Different parts of the capital were found literally burning into the chaos as armed activists of both the alliances indiscriminately blasted crackers and bombs, set tires on fire, ransacked vehicles and threw brickbats at rival processions.

The capital last night resembled the images of battle-prone streets of Palestine seen on TV screens with armed men prowling on empty streets which were marked with blazes eerily lighting up the night sky. A frightening calm engulfed the city which was punctuated by sounds of gunshots and battle cries of the operatives of two rival parliamentary parties that were engaged in a dialogue just a few days ago. Almost all the stores remained closed and most of the streets were deserted in the capital while its panic-stricken residents were glued to TV screens or hectic on phones trying to find out what their uncertain lives are heading towards. The scene on the streets of Dhaka city last night brought into reality the hitherto fear of political experts even before the handover of power to a caretaker government.

At the time of filing this report early today Jatrabari, Shyampur, Gulistan, Purana Paltan, Russel Square and its adjacent area in Dhanmondi, Pallabi, Lalbagh, Kamrangirchar, and Hazaribagh areas of the capital were under the control of AL activists.

In the port city of Chittagong a ban on gatherings on Laldighi Maidan was declared by the administration in the wake of a tense situation that arose after the local chapters of both BNP and AL had announced rallies there at the same time. Yesterday, as BNP tried to hold a rally on the maidan, AL activists chased the BNP activists out of the area and held an AL rally there presided over by City Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, who is also an AL leader.

CAPITAL
Thousands of activists of AL and BNP and of their different front organisations came out on the streets in the capital during the prime minister's address to the nation and demonstrated violently leaving its residents in panic and anxiety.

Activists of both the parties threw bombs on rival party's processions, offices and other establishments and were locked in clashes, almost all over the city. Small battles were continuing in different areas of the capital at the time of filing this report.

The worst was seen in the area spanning from Motijheel to Demra, forcing hundreds of commuters to walk to their destinations in complete darkness as the clashing political operatives damaged the street lights and barred vehicular traffic on Dhaka-Chittagong highway.

Activists of both the parties were seen patrolling the streets with sticks and stones in hands in search of rival party men. They were chanting slogans against each other.

At least two men from Pallabi area were admitted to hospitals last night with critical bullet wounds. The two -- Bachchhu and Shahin -- were wounded at Duaripara in Pallabi.

Several crackers were blasted at the residence of Housing and Public Works Minister Mirza Abbas at Shajahanpur in Khilgoan during the clashes.

The house of Communications Minister Nazmul Huda at Dhanmondi also came under attack. The opposition activists hurled bricks at his residence leaving its windowpanes shattered.

Several crackers were blasted at the residence of Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, parliamentary adviser to the prime minister, last night for the second time in the last seven days.

State Minister Amanullah also came under attack at his residence at Imamganj in Lalbagh. The attack left four including Aman injured as AL and BNP exchanged bullets there yesterday afternoon for half an hour.

AL workers also attacked the house of minister without portfolio Harun-ur-Rashid Munnu and the BEPZA office at Dhanmondi.

They also ransacked business establishments of lawmaker Salauddin Ahmed and the BNP office in Demra. In retaliation BNP men attacked the house of AL Adviser RK Chowdhury.

Some workers sprayed bullets on the house of Ward Commissioner Marzina in Khilgaon leaving Newaz wounded. He later succumbed to his injuries in Dhaka Medical College Hospital. BNP claimed Newaz as one of its activists.

In a separate incident at Postogola, a CNG three wheeler driver received burn injuries when some activists set fire to his vehicle at about 10:00pm.

Meanwhile, two unknown women died under the wheels of a bus at Jatrabari when BNP and AL men chased each other during a clash.

AL activists also set fire to about 25 vehicles in the capital, blasted bombs and crackers at different spots and fired gunshots. They also ransacked the radio broadcasting office at Shahbagh, Biman office at Motijheel and several BNP establishments.

BNP activists brought out a procession in Gulistan area last evening, which later had to confront AL activists. Police dispersed both the groups.

The opposition coalition activists later attacked Peer Yameni Market owned by Ward Commissioner Chowdhury Alam and damaged its gate.

AL operatives also burnt many BNP offices at different places in the capital including Lalbag, Mirpur, Demra and Dhanmondi.

AL activists burnt and ransacked the banners and posters of lawmaker Nasir Uddin Pintu at Kamrangir Char at 6:30pm.

AL activists allegedly set fire to the office of the commissioner of ward no 67 at Moulavibazar at 1:00am yesterday. Clashes between the operatives of BNP and AL in the area erupted again in the afternoon.

BNP activists brought out processions at Dainik Bangla crossing, Hatir Pool and Dhaka University.

BRAHMANBARIA
The district BNP brought out a procession in the district-headquarter immediately after the prime minister's address to the nation.

Some unknown men threw bombs at the procession leaving Advocate Habib and several others injured. Doctors declared Habib dead after he had been rushed to a local clinic.

GAZIPUR
AL and BNP activists got locked in a battle at Shivbari crossing when AL activists tried to set fire to a local Jamaat office yesterday evening.

Several Jamaat activists including Ruhul Amin became targets of the attack as they were coming out of an adjacent mosque after saying their prayers.

Police charged batons to disperse the fighting activists of the two party leaving at least 15 injured.

Ruhul Amin died on the spot during the police action, said sources but Gazipur police claimed that he died of a heart attack.

PATUAKHALI
AL activists attacked a motorcade of Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, a minister without portfolio, at Subed Ali Bandar under Mirzaganj thana in Patuakhali at noon on Thursday.

Altaf was forced to take shelter at the local police station as a local AL procession, led by former general secretary of Bangladesh Krishok League Harun-ur-Rashid Hawlader, threw stones at his motorcade and chased him during his visit to his constituency.

RAJSHAHI
About 30 persons were injured yesterday, 10 of them with bullet wounds, in a daylong clash between two rival groups of BNP one led by Post and Tele-communications Minister Barrister Aminul Haque and the other by Tanore municipality chairman also former upazila Juba Dal president Emran Ali Mollah.

The clash began when supporters of Emran beat up eights supporters of the minister at a rally on the founding anniversary of Juba Dal on the Dak Bungalow ground, reports our Rajshahi staff correspondent.

To secure the loyalists of the minister, police fired teargas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the mob hitting 10.

Protesting the police attack, Emran's men stormed the local police station, damaged the local BNP office, and set fire to three motorcycles.

KHULNA
An AL procession attacked the house of BNP lawmaker Ali Asgar Lobi in Khulna and damaged two private cars and windowpanes of the house. It also assaulted Qamrul Ahsan, Khulna bureau staff photographer of the daily Prothom Alo. Later, police rescued Qamrul.

BOGRA
At least 10 were injured in an attack on the office of BNP lawmaker Kazi Rafiq from Bogra-1 constituency. The lawmaker, however, was unhurt.

RANGPUR
Five cops and 50 activists of the 14-party opposition coalition and Juba Dal were injured, 10 of them critically, in a series of chase and counter-chase in Rangpur town last evening.

BARISAL
The local administration imposed section 144 in Baufal fearing confrontations in the locality. Over 80 people were injured and many residences of both BNP and AL leaders came under attacks in Barisal in the last two days.

COMILLA
Over 50 people were injured and 10 houses damaged in clashes between AL and BNP activists in Debidwar and Burichang upazilas in Comilla over a feud about graffiti on Thursday.