DHAKA, Nov 13: An Awami League worker was killed and over 100 activists were injured on Monday, the second day of the nationwide indefinite blockade enforced by the opposition political combine, as an empty police van ran over a gathering of agitating activists in the capital city on Monday afternoon.
The brutal incident, which left one person killed on the spot and two critically injured on the second day of the political combine’s ‘indefinite blockade’, flared up sporadic clashes between lawmen and Awami League activists across the city. The first day of the blockade, although disconnected the capital from the rest of the country, was comparatively peaceful.The AL-led alliance, which has announced the blockade to press home its 11-point demand, including resignation of the chief election commissioner, has condemned the police action. “The government has deliberately killed one of our colleagues by the police truck ploughing through a rally with a sinister motive of misguiding our movement,” accused AL leader Obaidul Kader.
Meanwhile, Chittagong and Mongla sea ports, the Benapole, Burimari, Hili and Sonamosjid land ports, known as the lifeline of the country, remained inoperative since Sunday morning, halting supply of essential goods.
In another development, the government of the president and chief adviser of the non-party caretaker government, Prof Iajuddin Ahmed, ‘rescinded’ a home ministry order, issued on Sunday afternoon, for deploying army troops to prevent law and order slide.
Besides, the government at a Cabinet meeting formed a four-member sub-committee to have a dialogue with the feuding political camps led by the Awami League and BNP. “The committee has already started contacting the leaders of the political parties concerned,” Mahbubul Alam, the cabinet member in charge of the ministry of information told a press conference in the evening.
In another development, the BNP, which was staying home since the beginning of the AL’s blockade programme two days ago, has announced a package of agitation this afternoon. The party will stage a demonstration across the country on Tuesday.
The BNP announcement has generated a lot of tensions among the citizens, apprehending direct clashes between the activists of the two political camps.
