Despite being declared out of the purview of hartals and blockades, ambulances have not only been barred from plying by the BNP-Jamaat-led 18-party alliance activists during their recent picketing but also vandalised.

According to Chittagong Ambulance Owners' Cooperative Association, 20 ambulances have been vandalised in the district since the beginning of the demonstrations on November 26.

Consequently, ambulance owners and drivers have become reluctant to transport neither the sick nor the dead. Even if they do agree, they tend to charge exorbitant fares.

One such victim, Shahidul Islam, told The Daily Star that he had initially failed to hire an ambulance to take his sick father from Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) to their Chakaria residence in Cox’s Bazar recently.

"Drivers do not want to travel long distances...Some of them agreed after my repeated request but demanded an abnormally high fare," he said.

Mahin Uddin, driver of an ambulance parked outside CMCH, told The Daily Star that such attacks were a new phenomenon.

"The parties declare that ambulances are out of the purview of blockades and hartals but their activists do not abide by this decision," he said.

Another driver, Abdul Jalil, said his ambulance was vandalised at Odhunnagar in Chittagong's Amirabad on way to Moheshkhali upazila from CMCH with a dead body.

"I earned Tk 8,000 from that trip but had to pay Tk 10,000 to get a new window glass," he said.

The ambulance association General Secretary Mohammad Akhteruzaman said their business had totally collapsed due to the vandalism.

"Three of my ambulances have been vandalised, at Bhatiary, Mirsarai and Sitakunda... pickets assaulted one driver and snatched his money and cellphone," he said.

He admitted that drivers did not want to take out their vehicles during political programmes, but stated that it was only for places outside Chittagong city.

Talking to The Daily Star, Mahmud Ullah, publicity secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami, Chittagong city unit, said it was pro-ruling party activists, rather than theirs, carrying out the attacks.

Syed Wahidul Alam, information and

research secretary of BNP Central Committee, said they had directed their activists not to "harass any patient or expatriate arriving from or going abroad".

"We will take action after conducting investigation on specific allegations," he added.