At least three persons were killed in clashes as a 60-hour countrywide strike called by opposition parties demanding a neutral caretaker government in poll-bound Bangladesh entered second day today, raising the overall death toll in violence linked to political unrest to 14.
Supporters of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its rightwing ally Jamaat-e-Islami stabbed a rival supporter to death in northern Jamalpur, police said.
In Chittagong, a trucker died as his vehicle overturned after picketers threw brick chips at him, they said. The third death was reported from western Jhinaidah where a local BNP leader was bombed and knifed to death by suspected rival activists.
"A gang of up to eight miscreants carried out the attack exploding crude bombs as Abul Hossain was having tea in a stall...They later stabbed him to confirm his death," a police officer told reporters.
At least 50 people were injured when a shuttle train derailed after suspected opposition activists uprooted rail lines in Lalmonirhat area.
In Dhaka, protesters torched an office of ruling Awami League. Witnesses said the protesters also hurled a few handmade bombs and raised pro-strike slogans.
They also torched and vandalised at least six vehicles in Dhaka and its adjacent areas, reports said, adding at least seven bombs were blasted across the city.
The incidents of clashes, explosions and vandalism were also reported from other parts of Bangladesh.
Yesterday, five persons were killed in violence in towns and cities despite authorities deploying thousands of extra police and paramilitary personnel countrywide to prevent any untoward incident during the strike.
On October 25, six persons have been killed and over 300 injured in clashes between BNP workers and security forces across Bangladesh.
Schools, shops and other businesses remained closed across the country today for the strike. But the state media reported public life in Dhaka remained largely normal as the people joined their works.
