DHAKA: A total of 492 people including 15 police members were killed in 419 major incidents of political violence throughout the year of 2013.

Human rights organization Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) also said about 2,200 other were injured in the incidents those took place till December 24.  

Below are the major political violent incidents:


Violence after Mollah verdict

Jamaat-e-Islami declared two day hartal in protest against ICT verdict against Quader Mollah awarding life imprisonment on February 5.
 
At least three people were killed and many injured across the country as Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Chhatra Shibir cadres enforced a dawn-to-dusk hartal protesting the war crimes trial of its leader Abdul Quader Mollah.

In Chittagong District, two Shibir cadres --Imran Khan and Afzal Hossain-- and Shafiqu, a worker of Youngone factory were killed during a clash with Police.

Besides, four persons were killed and at least 50 others injured in clashes between Islamists led by JeI-ICS and the Police in Singair sub-District in Manikganj District in a hartal on February 24.


Violence after Mollah execution

At least seven people were killed and 150 others injured in clashes across the country on December 13 as activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir engaged in violence following the execution war crimes convict Abdul Quader Mollah, a top Jamaat leader, on December 12.

Violence after Sayedee verdict


On February 28, at least 40 persons, including 12 policemen, were killed and more than 2,000 people were also injured as Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir went on the rampage, in the name of movement, immediately after ICT verdict that sentenced Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee to death penalty on charges of war crimes he had committed in 1971. (Source: South Asia Terrorism Portal: Terrorism)

Of them, seven Jamaat-Shibir men were killed in Rangapur District. Six persons including four Policemen and two cadres killed in Gaibandha District. Five persons including four cadres and one civilian killed in Satkhira District.  Four civilians killed in Thakurgaon District. Four persons including three civilians and one Policeman killed in Chittagong District. Two cadres were killed in Sirajganj District. Two civilians were killed each in Cox’s Bazar, Chapainawabganj and Noakhali Districts. One cadre each in Dinajpur and Rajshahi Districts.  One civilian each in Dhaka, Moulvibazar, Natore and Bogra Districts.

On March 1, at least seven more people were killed taking the death toll to 47 as Jamaat-Shibir men continued clashing with law enforcers across the country.
 
In Gaibandha, a rickshaw-puller and a tea-stall owner were killed as Jamaar-Shibir men clashed with law enforcers at Bangsharhat town. In Chapainawabganj, Jamaar-Shibir man Abdur Rahim (45) was killed and 20 other cadres were injured as fresh violence broke out at Shibganj town. In Noakhali, Nur Uddin (17) of Khaliterhat village who was injured in the violence on February 28 succumbs to injuries. In Satkhira, three people who were injured in clashes on February 28 succumb to their injuries.

On March 2 at least six people were killed as members of Jamaar-Shibir clashed with Police across the country. In Chittagong District, three Jamaar-Shibir men - Abu Taher, Mohammad Shahidullah, and Osman Gani – were killed when Police tried to remove barricades set up by Jamaar-Shibir men on Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar highway. In Nilpjhamari, Shibir man Atiqur Rahman (18) was killed in Jaldhaka town and 20 others were injured as Jamaar-Shibir men clashed with law enforcers. In Sylhet, Jagat Juti Talukder (32), a former leader of BCL was hacked to death by suspected Shibir men in Sylhet town. In Rangpur District, Akmal Hossain, who suffered bullet wounds during clashes between Police and Jamaar-Shibir men at Pirgachha town on February 28 was succumbed to injuries.

On March 3 at least 23 people killed and more than 1,000 wounded as violence escalated on the first day of hartal (shut down) Jamaar-Shibir men enforced across the country on the first day of 48-hour hartal called by Jamaat-e-Islami.

 In Bogra District at least 10 civilians, including three women, were killed in fierce fighting between law enforcers and villagers led by Jamaar-Shibir men. In Joypurhat District, six JeI-ICs cadres - Forman Ali (25), Nasir Uddin (20), Majidul Islam (35), Abdul Hakim (20), Hesab Ali (50) and Majnu (15) were killed in clash with Police. In Rajshahi District, four civilians were killed in clashes between the Police and Jamaar-Shibir men. In Jheniadah Distrcit, Omar Faruque (40), a Police constable was killed when Jamaar-Shibir men swooped on the law enforcers. In Gazipur District, Abdur Razzak (22), Shreepur sub-District president of Shibir was knocked down and killed by a truck while he was picketing at Joina Bazar on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Shreepur. In Satkhira District, Mahbubur Rahman (30), a Jamaar-Shibir man was shot dead by BGB.

On March 4, five people were killed and   17 others injured as Jamaar-e-Islami and its student wing Shibir men clashes with law enforcers across the country on the concluding day of two-day hartal.

Violence after SQ Chy verdict

Hundreds of people were injured in clashes with Police, vandalize vehicle across the country in couple of days after the death sentence to BNP leader SQ Chowdhury awarded by the ICT-1.


Hefajat Mayhem

On May 5, 2013, Hefajat arranged a siege and rally at the capital city, Dhaka in the demand of their 13-points. At least 4 people were killed during their violent protest.

The supporters of the Hefajat-e Islam vandalized and torched at least 50 vehicles and several buildings during their rally at Motijheel. A clash was also carried out by them in front of the ruling party Awami League`s headquarter at Paltan, Dhaka.

Hefajat supporters set fire to book stores located beside the south gate of the National Mosque Baitul Mukarram during their program.

They also assaulted two on-duty television journalists working for private channels before the rally.

 Because of their violent act during the rally, top leaders of the Hefajat-e-Islam have been accused in 12 cases of murder, vandalism, arson and destruction of properties and other charges.

Hefajat and the BNP-led alliance claimed that around 2,000 to 3,000 Hefajat men had been killed and many others were forcibly disappeared during the crackdown on May 5.

But the government in a press note, issued after five days of the late night crackdown, said, a total of 11 people, including three pedestrians and a policeman, were killed on the day at different stage of clashes but no causalities during crackdown.

Odhikar, a Human Rights organization of Bangladesh, in its report claimed that 61 Hefajat activists died in the Shapla Chattar incident.


5 spell of road-rail-waterways Blockade

The BNP-led 18-party alliance observed 15-day blockade in five spells from November 26 to November 28, from November 30 to December 5 and December 7 to December 12, from December 17 to December 19 and from December 21 to 24.

At least 17 people have lost their lives in Arson, clashes with police during three-day blockade started from November 26.

At least 20 people, including three train passengers due to derailment for blockade violence in Gaibandha district, were killed in Arson attack, clashes with police in weeklong blockade started from November 26.

In Gaibandha, three passengers were killed and 35 others injured as four coaches and the engine of Padmarag Express veered off the tracks after blockaders ripped up fish plates and clips from the rail lines on December 4.

Some 12 people, including four in Laxmipur, were killed and hundreds others injured in clashes with police, arson and vandalism during third spell also another weeklong blockade started from December 7.


Violence by Petrol Bomb attack

In violence in Bangladesh politics, protesting groups added new phenomena in creating violent incidents like petrol bombs, uproot rail tracks and fishplates.

Miscreants or BNP-Jamaat men hurled cocktails, petrol bombs at village home ICT-1 chairman Fazle Kabir, Chief Election Commissioner Rakibuddin Ahmed, Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu and Supreme Court SK Sinha.

On November 28, a youth who sustained burn injuries when miscreants attack a bus with petrol bombs near Shishu Park in Dhaka city died at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, five hours after the incident.

Besides, 18 more people were injured when miscreants set fire to the bus.

A victim of November 28 bus arson in Dhak city’s Shahbagh died of his injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Wahidur Rahman Babu, a Dhaka College student who sustained burn injuries at Shahbagh bus arson attack on November 28 died at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital on December 4.

Couple of drivers and helpers of Truck and CNG-run auto driver succumbed to their injuries at different hospitals across the country.

The death figure also had been counted in blockade violence.

BDST: 1844 HRS, DEC 31, 2013
Rubaiat Saky, Senior Newsroom Editor