82 held in 5 dists including Dhaka

In continuation of the crackdown against troublemakers throughout the country, law enforcers detained at least 82 men of the BNP and its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami from Dhaka, Khulna, Chittagong, Gaibandha and Naogaon in separate combing operations in the last 24 hours.

• Bridge hit by sabotage in Joypurhat
• 3 hurt in crude blast on bus in Khulna
• Hartal largely peaceful, no major untoward incidents reported

No major untoward incident was reported until noon today - the 30th day of BNP-led 20-party's countrywide blockade and fourth day of its hartal.

In Joypurhat, miscreants uprooted three plates of a bailey bridge last night, halting traffic on the road leading to Khetlal bypass, Abdur Rashid, officer-in-charge of Joypurhat Sadar Police Station told our local correspondent.

In Gazipur, unidentified pickets have set fire to a passenger bus, Balaka Paribahan this evening in Gazipur Police line area.
Two units of fire-fighters brought the blazes under control after a petrol bomb was hurled at the bus around 8:20pm, said Mohammad Ali, duty officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters.
None has been reported to be injured till the report was filled around 9:20pm.

In Dhaka, police detained 27 BNP-Jamaat activists from different places of metropolitan area in the past 24 hours, the media wing of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said in a media release floated today, without specifying further details.
Two youths were killed in "gunfight" with the Rapid Action Battalion after they said to have attacked a patrol car of the elite force with petrol bombs in Jatrabari.
Another man was shot by the police while he was allegedly blasting crude bombs in Shahjahanpur area early in the morning.
Meanwhile, miscreants torched a bus of Classic Paribahan at Mirpur-1 in the capital around 1:05pm.
Two units of fire-fighter doused the fire after half an hour, said Bhajon Kumer Sarkar, an inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defence.
None was reported to be injured in the incident, he said.  

In Khulna, miscreants hurled two crude bombs on a Dhaka-bound Shohagh Paribahan at Daulatpur in Khulna city yesterday night, said s police.
At least three people including its driver and helper were injured in the bomb attack that took place around 9:30pm, said Shafiqul Islam, officer in-charge (OC) of Daulatpur police station.
The injured were admitted to Khulna Medical College.
Police detained 35 activists of BNP and Jamaat from Khulna city over charges of plotting subversive activities last night, reports our local correspondent quoting Moniruzzaman Mithu, additional commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police.

In Chittagong, police held 14 BNP-Jamaat men over similar charges from separate parts of the district, our local correspondent reports quoting the police.
The hartal has been extended until Thursday and the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams have been deferred to a later date by the education ministry in this view.
At least 50 people have been killed so far in the political violence that spiraled from the start of this year and includes 33 people who were commoners and not linked to politics.

In Gaibandha, joint forces arrested Rakhal Buruj union unit BNP secretary Taslimuddin, 35, in Gobindaganj upazila from Amtali market around 10:00am, our district correspondent reports quoting ABM Jahidul Islam, OC of Gobindaganj Police Station.
Prior to this, Taslimuddin who is accused of several cases in connection with violence and terrorism had remained absconded to avert arrest, OC said.
Police also arrested two suspected Jamaat men, teaching in local Kanaipara Dakhil Madrasha in Shaghata upazila from the madrasha premise.
The arrestees were identified as Abdul Aziz, 52, and Abdul Wahed, 45.
Shaghata Police Station OC, Rafiqul Islam said they were accused in several cases including sabotage in train at Burugi near Bonarpara station.

In Naogaon, pickets torched a microbus at Post office intersection of Niamotpur upazila in the district this morning.
Niamotpur Police Station OC, Obaidul Islam said pro-hartal supporters set the microbus, parked at Post Office intersection at around 4:00am.
Later, fire-fighters doused the blaze.
Police arrested three people in this connection from different areas in the upazila.