Pedestrian killed in Ctg bomb blast

A pedestrian was killed, two teenagers were burnt and at least eight others injured in separate incidents of blockade violence yesterday.

In Chittagong, alleged blockade supporters exploded a crude bomb at C&B intersection around 7:00pm, leaving Mohammed Redwan, 50, injured, police said.

Redwan was admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital where he died around 9:15pm, Nayek Jahangir Alam of the hospital police camp told our Chittagong correspondent.

With the latest one, at least 76 lives perished and over 300 people were burnt in violence and arson attacks since the BNP-led 20-party alliance enforced an indefinite nationwide blockade on January 6.

The combine has also been enforcing countrywide hartals since February 1, except for weekends, demanding a fresh election under a non-partisan government.

ARSON ATTACKS

In Narayanganj, helper Yasin, 13, and conductor Shakil Ahmed, 18, suffered burns after alleged blockaders firebombed their bus in Rupganj early yesterday.

Critically injured, the two were undergoing treatment at the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Bus owner Sohrab Hossain said Yasin and Shakil were sleeping in the Ashiyan Paribahan bus parked in front of Bismillah CNG Filling Station on Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Sawghat of Rupganj around 3:30am when the attack was made.

The vehicle was completely burnt before fire fighters reached the spot.

Back in the capital, arsonists posing as passengers set alight a bus of Ananda Paribahan at Gendaria yesterday evening, police said.

All the passengers, however, managed to get off the bus unhurt.

Besides, a bus was torched in Chittagong's Bahaddarhat around 7:20pm, a truck in Rajshahi city around 8:45am and another in Bhola around 6:45am.

EIGHT HURT IN BLASTS

At least eight people were injured in separate crude bomb attacks in the capital yesterday evening, according to police.

Blockade pickets hurled a homemade bomb at a moving bus near Gulshan-1 intersection around 8:00pm, leaving at least three passengers injured.

A pedestrian was injured in a crude bomb blast in Uttara's House Building area around 10:00pm, another in the city's Nawabganj around 8:00pm, two more in Lalbagh around 8:30pm and another person was hurt in a similar attack at Paltan around 7:30pm.

Law enforcers in Jessore recovered 17 crude bombs at Kagojpukur village under Benapole Port Police Station on Tuesday night.

Though the traffic in the capital and other major cities is largely normal, inter-district bus and truck operators refrained from operating vehicles, fearing attacks.

The political stand-off is hurting businesses, their production and supply chains. According to an estimate by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, businesses have lost over Tk 100,000 crore so far due to the blockade and hartals.

EXAMS PUT OFF AGAIN

The last extension of hartal from 6:00am yesterday to 6:00am tomorrow forced the education ministry to push yesterday's SSC and equivalent exams to March 7.

The exams will be held from 10:00am to 1:00pm, Education Secretary Nazrul Islam Khan told at a press briefing at the ministry yesterday.

The ministry has so far rescheduled eight day's exams this month.

Our correspondents in Chittagong, Narayanganj and Benapole contributed to this report.