At least 7 killed on 2nd day of curfew
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Two deaths were reported in Narayanganj and Narshingdi, doctors said.
Of the six people who succumbed to their injuries yesterday, three died at DMCH, said Bachchu Mia.
A doctor at Savar Enam Medical College Hospital requesting anonymity said a fish trader who was wounded during a clash in Savar on Saturday died at Savar Enam Medical College Hospital.
Besides, police recovered two bodies from the National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease and sent those to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medial College morgue for autopsies, said Ahad Ali, officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.
They were injured in earlier clashes in Uttara or Gazipur and were being treated at a hospital in Uttara before being taken to NICVD, he added.
With yesterday’s deaths, at least 140 lives have been lost since Tuesday, when six people were killed in violence. On Thursday, at least 29 people died in clashes between protesters and law enforcers, aided by ruling party activists. Another victim injured in Wednesday’s violence also died on Thursday. On Friday, at least 66 people were killed across the country. On Saturday, at least 25 people died including four who were injured in earlier clashes.
The overall death toll and that from yesterday’s violence may rise, as The Daily Star could not reach many hospitals where dozens of critically injured patients were taken for treatment. Also, many families reportedly collected the bodies of their loved-ones from the scene, and this newspaper could not contact those families. The Daily Star’s count of the victims is based solely on hospital sources.
Yesterday’s clashes broke out between law enforcers and protesters in Sign Board, Chittagong Road, Shanarpar and Dhania areas when members of police and Rab tried to clear the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.
Witnesses said the law enforcers fired indiscriminately at protesters.
Clashes were also reported in the Bashundhara area of the city. Witnesses said the clashes took place in phases between police and a few hundred agitators at the Bashundhara Main gate near Pragati Sarani.
The clashes ensued after agitators threw brickbats at police, who retaliated by firing shotgun pellets and teargas canisters.
Around 8:45pm, two residents of Bashundhara’s Block A told this newspaper over the phone that they were hearing gunshots. Choppers were hovering overhead, they said.
Violence in Jatrabari
Around 10:00pm, agitators in Jatrabari area, which has seen daily protests since the violence erupted on Wednesday, blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway and took positions in the neighbouring areas.
As law enforcers moved to remove the road blocks in Rayerbag, Sign Board, Chittagong Road, Shanarpar and Dhania areas, the agitators pelted brick chips at the law enforcers prompting them to fire numerous tear gas shells and bullets, witnesses said.
The clash continued till the evening. Around 5:00pm members of the joint forces managed to remove the roadblocks and open the highway.
DMCH duty doctors confirmed that five bodies were brought to DMCH from the areas.
More than 70 injured people, many of them in critical condition, from those areas were also admitted to DMCH yesterday. Most of them had bullet injuries, they added.
A large number of police were guarding different parts of the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway till filing of this report.
Of the five victims who were brought to DMCH, three were shot at Signboard area, said Bachchu Mia quoting family members.
He said Imran, 16, a tailoring shop worker, was shot around 2:00pm. Ashraf Hossain Akash, 18, footpath vendor, and Rakib, 18, a garments worker, were shot around the same time.
The other two victims -- Md Amin, 16, a factory worker, and Md Jashim, 45 -- were shot at Boalbari intersection in the evening, he added.
Meanwhile, three people -- Mohammad Zahid, 32, from Uttara, Toufique Ul Islam, 35, from Badda and Mohammad Shohagh, 25, from Gopibagh Railgate area -- died at DMCH yesterday.
The inspector said Zahid and Shohagh were injured by bullet on June 20. Toufique, a water pump technician, was shot on June 19.
In Mirpur, a group of agitators vandalised four vehicles of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited at Mirpur-10 around 3:30pm. Around 15 people attacked the vehicles when the officials were inspecting the damages of Metro rail station at Mirpur 10.
Besides, at least two people were killed and 22 were injured yesterday in clashes between agitators and law enforcers in Narayanganj and Narsingdi.
In Narayanganj, a bullet-hit youth, who couldn’t be identified, was brought dead at Narayanganj 300-Bed Hospital yesterday morning, said Dr Abul Basar, superintendent of the hospital.
He said 11 bullet-hit people were admitted to the hospital since morning.
Besides, seven bullet-hit people, including a 16-year-old, were admitted to a private hospital in the district’s Signboard area yesterday. The teen was in a critical condition, said a hospital source requesting anonymity.
Sporadic, day-long clashes were also reported form Jhalkuri to Signboard intersection areas and from Signboard to Kanchapur.
In Narsingdi, an unidentified man, aged around 18, was brought dead to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital in the afternoon, said Mahmudul Kabir Bashar, residential medical officer of the hospital.
“The man might have been hit by rubber bullets,” he added.
Around 2:00pm, law enforcers clashed with a group of miscreants who tried to vandalise a local union parishad building at Meherpara area of Sadar upazila, said police.
Mizanur Rahman, director of Narsingdi 100-bed Hospital, said, “Four bullet-hit people came for treatment at our hospital around 3:30pm.”
Meanwhile, a fish trader, who suffered bullet injury on Saturday evening in Savar, died at Enam Medical College Hospital.
The deceased is Nobi Noor, 45, a resident of Bonpukur area in Savar.
Meanwhile, law enforcers yesterday foiled repeated attempts by agitators to block the Dhaka-Aricha Highway at several points between Radio Colony and Genda area.
[Our correspondents from respective districts contributed to the report]