Dhaka, Dec 09 Police fired tear gas and clashed with the rampaging activists of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its 17 other allies in parts of the capital city amid a nationwide, eight-hour road blockade on Sunday.
bdnews24.com correspondents stationed across the city reported a total chaos in Dhaka in the bginning hours of the blockade that began at 6am.
The opposition protesters demanding restoration of a caretaker government to oversee next elections vandalised and torched vehicles amid tight security with additional police patrolling the city streets.
BNP's main partner Jamaat-e-Islami has been demanding a halt to the trial process involving alleged crimes against humanity during War of Liberation 1971. But the government says it will go ahead with the trial of the suspects that include former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam and eight Jamaat leaders and two from the BNP. BNP and Jamaat termed the trial politically motivated but the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says they have overwhelming mandate to go ahead.
Security was heightened at key intersections in Dhaka, but opposition activists were seen hampering traffic on Sunday morning.
The protesters set fire to a police van at Panthapath and vandalised the vehicle of Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Minhaz at Jatrabari's Kajla. The police officer suffered injuries in the attack.
They also set a fuel tanker belonging to Meghna Petroleum on fire at Postogola and a bus at Gulistan around 7:45am.
The demonstrators set alight a bus near Mirpur-1 intersection around 5am and another in front of the Sony Cinema Hall at Mirpur-2 around 6:30am.
Chases and counter-chases broke out between demonstrators and law enforcers in front of the Square Hospital in Panthapath around 6am.
Police fired tear gas at the protesters there forcing them to flee through nearby alleys. Similar clashes took place at the court area in Old Dhaka around the same time.
At around 7:45am, the protesters torched a CNG-run three-wheeler in front of the Shishu Park amid clashes with law enforcers.
Shahbagh Police Station's Officer-in-Charge Shirajul Islam said they detained at least 10 demonstrators at the scene.
Clashes were also reported at Jurain immediately after 7am while the opposition activists smashed a vehicle of a private news channel.
The demonstrators also set fire to tyres at various entry points of the capital including Gabtoli, Uttara and Jatrabari around dawn to prevent vehicles from entering Dhaka.
Explosions of several homemade bombs were reported in parts of the city.
Fire Service Control Room official Forhaduzzaman said that firefighters brought the fires under control.
The eight-hour blockade, called by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from a Nov 28 rally, began at 6am.
Despite the violence, long queues of office-goers were seen at main bus stoppages and intersections in the city, bdnews24.com correspondents reported.
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