Widespread violence during Bangladesh blockade leaves 9 dead

Widespread violence, clashes, vandalism and huge crude bomb blasts marked the early hours of the second and final day of the 48-hour nationwide blockade Wednesday enforced by Bangladesh's main opposition-led 18-party alliance. The death toll from widespread violence rose to nine on the second day of the road, rail and waterway blockade imposed the opposition parties across the country. With the killing of two people on the second day, the death toll from acts of violence rose to nine as seven people were killed on Tuesday blockade hours. A woman who sustained critical injuries when a crude bomb hit her in the head in capital Dhaka Tuesday died at a hospital early Wednesday. The day's second death was reported from southwestern Satkhira district, some 240 km from capital Dhaka, where an activist of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party, key ally of ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's 18-party alliance, was killed when law enforcers opened fire on the opposition members after being attacked early Wednesday. The deaths have not been confirmed by police. The first day of the blockade also saw large-scale violence in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country that reportedly left at least seven people, including a paramilitary Bangladesh Border Guard soldier dead, and scores badly injured. In protest against the announcement of poll schedule, opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its 17 allies announced a 48-hour nationwide blockage of road, railway and waterway from Tuesday morning. Despite opposition threat to boycott, Bangladesh Election Commission announced on Monday that the country's 10th parliamentary election will be held on Jan. 5 next year. As on the first day of the blockade, massive clashes between protesters and police have been reported in parts of capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country Wednesday. Police used tear gas and hundreds of rounds of rubber bullets against opposition protesters. Hundreds of people, including dozens of policemen, were reportedly injured on Wednesday's deadly violence in opposition strongholds outside Dhaka. Sources say dozens of vehicles were smashed or set on fire during the hours of blockade in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country. The traffic on Dhaka streets remained relatively thin as most private vehicles were kept indoors. Ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has asked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to bring back a non-party caretaker system, or else the opposition won't participate in the next election because it fears an election without the non-party caretaker government will not be free and fair. The blockade kept most vehicles off the roads and made the streets of the capital look almost deserted.