Gabtoli turns into battleground

BNP leaders and activists block the Dhaka-Mawa highway by setting fire to tyres at Dholaipar during the eight-hour countrywide road blockade on Sunday. Photo: SK Enamul Haq

The entire Gabtoli area in the capital turned into a battleground as the pro-blockade activists and their rivals have been fighting pitched battles since Sunday morning during the 18-party alliance-sponsored countrywide road blocked.

The marauding activists, equipped with firearms, knives, machetes and sticks also fired blank shots to create panic.

Several people including Ripon Al Mamun, publicity secretary of Ward No 7 unit of Jubo Dal, sustained injuries during the clash.

Police had to fire 15 to 20 canisters of teargas shells and several rounds of rubber bullets to disperse clashing groups who also hurled a number of cocktails.

The clashes ensued around 6:00am when around 500 pro-blockade activists including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir and the front and associate bodies of main opposition BNP -- Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal-- put barricade on the Gabtoli main road setting fire to tyres.

Later, the anti-blockade activists including ruling Awami League and its associate bodies and Gabtoli bus-truck Sramik League workers came with anti-blockade slogan and swooped on the demonstrators, prompting the clashes.

Ruling party supporters also beat up Kamal Hossain Sabbir, a Shibir activist, during the clash.

At one stage, the pro-blockade activists retreated and took position near Amen Bazar Bride.

Another group of pro-blockade activists led by Shirin Sultana, general secretary of Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal, the women's wing of the BNP, took to the street.

The sporadic clashes were going on around 10:15am when this report was filed.

More than 60 cocktails were exploded, around 10 vehicles were torched and over 40 others were vandalised and clashes between the pro-blockade activists and law enforcers also took place at different city points including Panthapath, Rampura, Mirpur, Mohakhali and Jurain and Postagola areas of Jatrabari.

Seven cocktails were exploded in front of Bangladesh Television Bhaban at Rampura in the morning.

Three policemen sustained burn injuries in a hit-and-run attack in the morning hours. The pro-blockade miscreants hurled a petrol bomb on a police patrol car near the intersection of Panthapath and Green Road.

The vehicle was totally gutted. Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police said the vehicle belonged to their station.

On-duty police officer ASI Razzak told The Daily Star that they suspect that the petrol bomb was hurled from a multi-storied building.

Blockade supporters also set fire to a bus parked in front of Sonny Cinema Hall at Mirpur-1 around 4:30am when the driver, helper and conductor of the bus were sleeping inside it.

Feeling excessive heat, the trio woke up and jumped out of the bus, said Mominul, a security guard of Dutch-Bangla ATM Booth adjacent to the spot.

Another bus used to carry garment workers was also set afire few yards off the cinema hall around 6:30am.

At Mirpur Kazipara, sporadic clashes took place between police and the activists of Jamaat-Shibir, JCD and Jubo Dal for nearly 30 minutes from 6:00am.

They also exploded several cocktails prompting police to fire rubber bullets, said Abdul Latif, officer-in-charge of Kafrul Police Station.

A number of people were injured during the incident and several were picked up from the spot.

BACKGROUND

The BNP-led 18-party alliance on November 29 called the blockade from 6:00am to 2:00pm for December 9 aiming at detaching the capital form rest of the country to press home their demands, especially restoration of the caretaker government.

Opposition leaders on Saturday once again urged people not to bring their vehicles on roads during the blockade. They also threatened the government of tougher steps if it created any obstacle.

Leaders of ruling Awami League on the other hand vowed to resist the opposition's programme.

Against such backdrop, security measures and vigilance in the capital have been beefed up. Around 12,000 additional forces have been called in to work with police and Rapid Action Battalion in dealing with the opposition parties.

The Dhaka district administration would run 19 mobile courts to take instant punitive measures against troublemakers. Of the mobile courts, five will be operated by the elite force.