At least 34 people were killed and several hundred were injured during clashes between police and protesters in the capital Dhaka and other parts of the country on Monday.
Amid an overwhelming public protest across the country, acts of violent activities took place as students along with common people thronged to the streets to join the Long March to Dhaka programme demanding resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Defying the imposition of curfew for an indefinite period, tens of thousands of people thronged to the streets and marched to Central Shaheed Minar.
Witnesses said many people were killed when they were trying to break the curfew. At least 16 people were killed and over 100 were injured at Uttara area in the capital.
According to our correspondent from Uttara, nine people were already brought dead at Uttara Crescent Hospital while four at Uttara Modern Medical College Hospital and three people were found dead in House building area.
Witnesses said miscreants suddenly opened fire at about 4:00pm at Uttara.
The deceased are identified as Sagar Gazi (20), a staff member of City Online, Omar Nurul Absar (24), a trainee engineer (student) at Bangladesh Airlines, Shuvo (28), Nadim (20), a student from Netrokona and Lablu (50).
Many of them were brought to Uttara Crescent Hospital with gunshot wounds and died while receiving treatment. The identities of the remaining deceased have not yet been confirmed.
All the injured and deceased sustained gunshot wounds in various parts of their bodies.
Besides, locals also beat a student to death after identifying him as a member of the Bangladesh Chhatra League. Since the incident, hundreds of agitated people have surrounded the Uttara East Police Station.
Three people were shot dead during clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies at Kajla area of Jatrabari in Dhaka.
The deceased were identified as Rasel, 25, Abdur Rahman, 30, and Rakib Hossain, 24. The clashes, which began after 10:00am, saw intense confrontations and exchanges of fire. The clash continued till 1:30pm.
Rasel, who received bullet-hit in the head, was brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital by a passer-by named Sumon. The on-duty doctors declared him dead at 11:40am.
Sumon said that Rasel was shot at under the Kajla Bridge. Two other gunshot victims were also brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 1:30pm, where they were declared dead.
During the clashes near Jatrabari Police Station, law enforcement agencies also fired rubber bullets and lobbed teargas shells at the protesters.
Witnesses also said that people attacked the Jatrabari Police Station at about 2:00pm and vandalised the police station. They set several vehicles, parked in front of a building adjacent to the police station, on fire.
They said police members, confined inside Jatrabari Police Station, were firing gunshots. Many reportedly received bullet wounds during the shooting.
The acts of violence sparked hours after Sheikh Hasina’s resignation as Prime Minister. At least eight people were burnt to death and 20 others were injured after unidentified miscreants set a hotel, owned by local Awami League leader in Jashore, on fire.
The hotel known as Zabeer International is owned by AL general secretary Shaheen Chakladar. Jashore Fire Service assistant director M Mamun said the fire broke out at the hotel at around 4:00pm.
Harun Or Rashid, a supervisor at Jashore General Hospital, said they found eight bodies in the fire. At least six people were shot dead and several others, including police, were injured in a clash between police and agitators at Baniachang in Habiganj.
A man was killed and 35 others were injured in a clash between protesters and Awami League leaders and activists at Talaimari in Rajshahi district during the clash.
