Trucker Azizur Rahman lies semi-conscious in a Chittagong Medical College Hospital bed with both hands burnt after blockaders firebombed his truck at Sitakunda's Shuklaal Haat on Dhaka-Chittagong highway early yesterday. Photo: Anurup Kanti Das There is no respite yet for innocent people from the ongoing countrywide blockade as the violent political programme continues to wreak havoc on public lif
e and livelihood, national economy and education. Two more burn victims died yesterday after suffering from excruciating pain, raising the death toll to 33 in the political violence that started on January 5. One of the victims was a trucker from Sylhet and another a truck helper from Rangpur. Another trucker and his helper suffered burns at Sitakunda in Chittagong yesterday, the 22nd day of the nonstop blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance. The BNP-led combine has meanwhile called a 36-hour hartal in Sylhet division and Shibir and BNP called a 36-hour hartal in Rajshahi division, both beginning tomorrow, in protest against filing "false" cases against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. At least five vehicles were torched in the capital, Chittagong, Comilla, Kushtia and Feni yesterday, according to fire service officials. The trucker from Sylhet, Bokul Debnath, 35, who was critically injured in a petrol bomb attack a week ago, died at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) at 7:00am yesterday. Advertisement Hailing from Goalabazar under Osmaninagar, Bokul along with his helper Kibria was going to Sylhet from Jaintapur with his sand-laden truck on January 19 midnight. Miscreants hurled a petrol bomb on their truck around 1:30am near Bagher Sarak area on Sylhet-Tamabil Highway, police said. The duo were whisked off to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital. Bokul was shifted to the DMCH on January 20 as his condition deteriorated. In Rangpur, Abdur Rashid, 38, helper of a truck who suffered burns in another arson attack in Chirirbandar upazila early Saturday, died at Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH) at 10:30am yesterday, reports our Rangpur correspondent. Son of Meher Ali, he hailed from Mahmudpur in Dinajpur Sadar upazila. Rashid suffered severe burns when some alleged blockaders set fire to his truck around 2:30am near Bhusirbandar area, leaving truck driver Hamidur Rahman also injured. The attack left the truck completely burned, said police. Both were admitted to the burn unit of RMCH that day. Rashid was later transferred to the ICU as his condition was stated to be critical. In Chittagong, truck driver Azizur Rahman, 35, and his helper Md Shamim, 23, suffered burns as alleged blockaders hurled a petrol bomb at their vehicle at Sitakunda upazila on the Dhaka- Chittagong Highway at 7:00am, reports our Chittagong correspondent. Both the victims hailed from Keshabpur in Jessore. Iftekhar Hasan, officer-in-charge of Sitakunda police, said three to four youths hurled the bomb at the onion-laden truck from Sona Masjid of Bogra on its way to Katunganj in the port city. The injured were rushed to the burn unit of Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Dr Rezina Islam of the unit said the condition of Azizur was critical. Helper Shahin was burnt after blockaders hurled a petrol bomb on his truck near Islamic University in Kushtia around 10:00pm yesterday. He was admitted to a local hospital. Meanwhile in Dhaka, a pedestrian was injured as alleged blockaders exploded several crude bombs near Sundarban Super Market at Gulistan last night. In Habiganj, at least 20 people including three policemen were injured in a clash between law enforcers and BNP-Shibir men in College Road area in Chunarughat upazila headquarters on Monday night. In Chandpur, pickets torched an auto-rickshaw in front of the deputy commission's residence on Monday night. No casualty was reported. In Chapainawabganj, police arrested Sohrab Ali, 55, a district unit Jamaat leader and vice-chairman of sadar upazila parishad, at the parishad premises yesterday afternoon on charge of conducting subversive activities.
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