Jubo Dal leader shot dead

The body of Faruk at Chandpur Sadar Hospital. He died after sustaining bullet injuries during a clash between BNP's youth front Jubo Dal and joint forces yesterday at Mahamaya of Chandpur. Photo: Banglar Chokh

An activist of Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, youth wing of the BNP, was shot dead and several others were wounded in a clash between blockaders and BGB personnel in Chandpur yesterday, the first day of the BNP-led opposition's indefinite blockade across the country.
Blockaders hurled petrol bombs at a Rajbari-bound train at Pangsha station in Rajbari last night, causing fire to one of its compartments.
Fire-fighters brought the flames under control after more than half an hour around 11:30pm, said fire service officials.

There were no reports of any casualty.
Meanwhile, two traders and a truck driver suffered burns as blockaders threw petrol bombs at a truck at Kaliakoir in Gazipur around 11:00pm, said police.   
The injured were taken to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said Omar Faruq, officer-in-charge of Kaliakoir Police Station.
In the capital, a woman was wounded as blockaders blasted crude bombs at Chankharpool last night.
Rehana Akhter Kajol, a housewife, was hit in the face by splinters of crude bombs while she was going to Kamrangirchar by a rickshaw around 9:15pm.
She was taken to the DMCH.
Opposition activists exploded crude bombs near the Matsya Bhaban, and in Paltan, Shahbagh and several other areas in the city last night.
In Chittagong, masked criminals attacked a campaign vehicle of a Workers Party candidate in the next parliamentary election while Jamaat-Shibir men threw a crude bomb at a microbus of private TV channel Somoy.
The start of the non-stop blockade coincided with the new year's day that ended on a rather sombre note amid tension arising from the present political situation.
Many businesses, offices and roadside shops were open and a large number of vehicles, including minibus, auto-rickshaws and private cars, plied the streets in the capital.
Most long-distance buses didn't leave from or for Dhaka, forcing many to look for alternative means of transport.
Train and launch operations, however, were almost normal all over the country.
In Chandpur, blockaders attacked a BGB motorcade carrying a magistrate, as it reached Mahamaya in Sadar upazila around 5:15pm, according to police and witnesses.
In retaliation, Border Guard Bangladesh personnel opened fire on the blockaders, leaving Jubo Dal activist Faruk Patwary, 35, and several others injured.
Faruk was whisked off to Chandpur Sadar Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
The BGB personnel opened fire on the attackers in self-defence, Magistrate Aminur Rahman, who was with the BGB team, told The Daily Star.
Meanwhile, masked criminals attacked a campaign vehicle of Abu Hanif, a Workers Party candidate from Chittagong-9 constituency, around 6:45pm in the port city.
Around 15 masked men vandalised the mini-truck being used for election campaign in front of Samador Community Centre near Kajir Dewri. They also exploded four to five crude bombs to create panic in the area.
“They vandalised my campaign truck and beat up my activists, leaving three of them injured,” said Hanif.
Mirza Sayem Mahmud, assistant commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, Kotwali Zone, said they detained three youths in connection with the incident.
Shibir activists might have been behind the attack, said the AC.
In a separate incident, the driver of a microbus of TV cannel Somoy was injured as Jamaat-Shibir men hurled a crude bomb at the vehicle in Chittagong city.
Jamaat-Shibir activists attacked the microbus parked in front of the TV channel's office in Asker Dighir Par area around 6:00pm, said Kamal Dey, senior reporter of the TV station.
Driver Abdul Hakim suffered splinter injuries and was immediately taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.   
In Jhenidah, a fire broke out at an election office of Prof Nabi Newaj, an Awami League candidate in the next parliamentary polls, near Kotchandpur bus stand in the afternoon.
Local AL leaders blamed Jamaat-Shibir men for the incident.
However, opposition leaders claimed that none from the BNP-led 18-party alliance was involved in the incident.  
Shahjahan Khan, officer-in-charge of Kotchandpur Police Station, said the fire might have been caused due to carelessness.
Law enforcers yesterday arrested 37 people in Sylhet, 10 opposition men in Jhenidah, 17 opposition activists in Chandpur, six in Satkhira and a BNP leader in Madaripur.
The home ministry said the BNP and Jamaat-Shibir activists carried out vandalism, arson attacks and subversive activities in several areas to create panic among people.
Law enforces foiled opposition activists' attempts to create anarchy in several places, it said in a press release in the afternoon.
Our district corresponds reported that though Rangamati, Bandarban and Cox's Bazar see hundreds of tourists on the new year's day, all three tourist destinations looked almost deserted yesterday due to the opposition's blockade.