2 children, 8 others hurt

With his head bandaged, a year and a half old Junel cries in pain at the Osmani Medical College Hospital in Sylhet around 2:30pm yesterday. He was injured when a homemade bomb was exploded near him in Mirer Maidan area of the city just over an hour before. Photo: Courtesy by Sk Nasir

At least 10 people, including two children, were injured in crude bomb blasts and arson attacks in different places of the country yesterday, the second day of the 72-hour countrywide hartal enforced by the BNP-led alliance.

There were sporadic incidents of violence in several districts with alleged pickets torching and vandalising vehicles.

Meanwhile, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), a pro-BNP student body, called a three-day strike in all educational institutions across the country from today, protesting the “killing, enforced disappearances and abduction” of its leaders and activists by law enforcers.

In a press statement, JCD leaders said they called the strike to mount pressure on the government to ensure coexistence in all educational institutions. They also urged the government to hold a fresh election under a non-party government.

Meanwhile, at least eight vehicles were torched across the country yesterday, said fire service officials.

In Sylhet, three people, including two children, suffered injuries as miscreants hurled two crude bombs at a CNG-run auto-rickshaw at Mirer Maidan in the city, reports UNB.

The injured were identified as Nafisa, 8, daughter of Mahbubur Rahman of Gobindaganj in Chhatak upazila, her 18-month-old brother Hafizur, and Shaheed Ahmed, the auto-rickshaw driver.

Witnesses said a group of miscreants hurled two crude bombs at a CNG-run auto-rickshaw near the local office of Bangladesh Betar in Mirer Maidan area around 1:00pm, leaving the two children and the auto-rickshaw driver injured.

They were rushed to Osmani Medical College Hospital.

Besides, miscreants set fire to a stationary microbus in front of Aarong in Noyasarak area in the city. ADC (media) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police Rahmat Ullah confirmed the incidents.

In Bogra, two truckers, a helper and a cattle trader were burnt as unidentified pickets torched their vehicles yesterday.

The victims were admitted to Ziaur Rahman Medical College.

Miscreants set alight a cattle-laden truck near Mokamtola area on Rangpur-Dhaka highway early yesterday. Cattle trader Abdul Kader, 64, of Comilla suffered 18 percent burns while driver Selim Hossain of Chittagong sustained head injuries in the incident.

Abdur Razzak, sub-inspector of Mokamtola Police Outpost, said the truck was going to Chittagong from Kurigram with police escort but it came under attack as it fell behind the convoy.

Abdul Kader said the attackers, who came in a private car, stopped the truck and set it alight in no time.

The second incident took place around 8:15pm when alleged pickets hurled a firebomb at a coal-laden truck on the Dhaka-Bogra highway in Bogra's Shajahanpur upazila.

Driver Abdul Kader suffered 10 percent burns while helper Liton Kazi suffered 20 percent in the incident, said Dr Shahidullah Dewan of the hospital.

The Manikganj-bound truck from Dinajpur came under attack when it reached Betgari area, said Abdul Mannan, officer-in-charge of Shajahanpur Police Station.

Meanwhile, suspected blockaders torched a bus of Bablu Paribahan at Thanthania Bus Stand in the town around 6:00am. Following the incident, police arrested Jahangir Alam, a BNP activist and former ward commissioner of Bogra Sadar municipality.

In Chittagong, alleged pickets hurled a crude bomb and brick chips at a bus in the city's Kotwali area, leaving a passenger injured.

Nasir Uddin Chowdhury of Lohagara upazila suffered minor injuries in the head in the incident, said Pankaj Barua, assistant sub-inspector of Chittagong Medical College Hospital police camp.

Meanwhile, an empty bus was set on fire in Chandgaon of the city yesterday, police said.

In Noakhali, a group of masked men looted and torched the house of Wahab Uddin, organising secretary of Kalatorab union unit of BNP, yesterday.

Locals said the group stormed the house at Kalatorab village around 12:30am and looted valuables from two rooms before burning them down.

Wahab held local Awami League men responsible for the incident.

In a separate incident, police detained Noakhali Puora unit BNP president Mizanur Rahman and three BNP activists for allegedly planning subversive activities.

A bus was gutted when miscreants threw a firebomb at the vehicle in Tangail's Ghatail upazila around 8:30pm.

Two passengers were injured while coming out of the bus, said Mokhlesur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Ghatail Police Station.

Meanwhile, police arrested eight Jamaat-Shibir men, two Hizb ut-Tahrir activists and 17 BNP men from different areas in Dhaka in the last 24 hours. Law enforcers also detained 15 people from Bagerhat, four Shibir men from Chittagong, and five from Mymensingh.

Our correspondents from the districts concerned contributed to the report.