Yet another victim of Jatrabari arson died while three policemen were injured in Sirajganj in another crude bomb attack yesterday, the first day of the 72-hour hartal.

So far 38 people have died in political violence since the BNP-led alliance announced indefinite blockade on January 5.

Forty-year-old Nur-e Alam, a contractor from Narayanganj, had suffered 48 percent burns nine days ago, as alleged blockaders threw two petrol bombs on the bus carrying him and 27 other passengers at the capital's

Jatrabari.

Alam died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital's burn unit around 1:00pm.

His brother-in-law Helal Uddin said Alam was returning home by the bus after visiting his sister's house in the capital.

"We tried our best to save his life but failed," said Helal in an emotion-chocked voice.

Including Alam, TJ people with no links with politics lost their lives in the ongoing political violence.

In Sirajganj, three policemen, including

Officer-in-Charge Tajul Huda of Ullapara Police Station sustained shrapnel injuries when alleged lamaat activists hurled a crude bomb at them.

An alleged lamaat activist received bullet injuries when police shot at them during the incident, said Ullapara police.

In the district town, police arrested three pickets after they blasted crude bombs targeting law enforcers.

Around 10:00am, police launched a raid in Khokshabari area where pickets had holed up, Habibul Islam, officer-in-charge of Sirajganj Sadar Police Station, told this correspondent.

As the law enforcers reached there, the pickets hurled several crude bombs at them. Police arrested three of the pickets, said the OC.

Law enforcers also arrested eight people in connection with Saturday's attack on a CNG-run three-wheeler which left a man dead and four injured in Sirajganj.

A total of 150 BNP-Jamaat men were sued for their alleged involvement in the incident.

Sporadic violence marked the first day of the BNP-led opposition's 72-hour shutdown yesterday. Alleged activists of the combine torched and vandalised vehicles, and exploded crude bombs in several districts.

Law enforcers arrested more than 100 BNP-Jamaat men for their alleged links with violence.

At least 32 BNP-Jamaat men were detained during a 24-hour drive in different areas of the capital till yesterday morning for plotting subversive activities, said police.

Fire service sources said 11 vehicles were torched across the country yesterday.

Like on previous hartal days, commuters yesterday suffered due to lack of long-route buses to and from Dhaka, while trains ran behind schedules. Launch service, however, was normal.

In the capital's Nilkhet, a Jubo Dal activist received bullet wounds in his legs when police shot him as he was allegedly trying to flee the scene setting a bus on fire in the evening, said New Market police.

In separate bomb blasts, 12-year-old Sabbir was injured in his left leg in Lalbagh and Nurul Amin in his right leg in Begum Bazar.

A few hours before the hartal began, two drivers and a helper suffered burns in Dinajpur and Jessore, as suspected pro-blockade pickets threw petrol bombs at their vehicles.

Yesterday morning, alleged block-aders exploded two crude bombs near the secretariat. None was injured.

Alleged hartal supporters torched four CNG-run auto-rickshaws, and vandalised two trucks and a lorry in Feni, while pickets vandalised a truck and five three-wheelers in Shibganj upazila ofChapainawabganj.

In Bogra town, pickets set afire three trucks, a bus and a CNG-run autorickshaw, hurling petrol bombs.

Power supply in the town remained snapped for half-an-hour after a truck, attacked by pickets, hit a roadside power pole.

Meanwhile, law enforcers detained 48 people, including 21 Jamaat men in Satkhira, seven Jamaat-BNP men in Thakurgaon and three in Pirojpur.