DHAKA: At least 87 people have been killed and 126 others suffered petrol bomb burns across the country since Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) enforced a nationwide road-rail-waterway blockade for indefinite period on January 5.

Friday marked the 39th straight day of the blocked, which has often been coupled with frequent hartals by BNP-led 20-party alliance.

Since the blockade began, the country has apparently turned a valley of death. The alliance supporters, mostly activists of BNP’s major ally Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chattra Shibir, have been carrying out sabotages.

Some 530 vehicles, mostly passenger buses and goods-laden trucks, became the targets of arson attacks while more 554 vehicles were vandalized at different places of the country.

BNP-Jamaat men have been carried out sabotages on the railways for 11 times so far.

Due to the sabotages, 87 people were killed. Of them, 52 died from burns, 13 were killed during political clashes between the alliance and its rivals and 22 others lost lives in different kinds of violence.

Some 126 people are still battling for life at the hospital-bed as they all are suffering from burns after being victims of arson attacks.

Saboteurs were also killed in gunfight with law enforcement agencies. The alliance claimed its 19 activists were killed in crossfire.

In previous two weeks, country witnessed a series of fresh shutdowns by the alliances, which were followed by a two-day break only during the weekend.

Meanwhile, the alliance threatened to go for non-stop shutdown from Sunday unless their demands are met by Saturday.
   
Khaleda announced the blockaded protesting government’s bar to obverse the ‘democracy killing day’ and her confinement to Gulshan political office.

On January 5, incumbent Awami Leagu, however, government marked the first year of its 5-year tenure with lots of successes since it had taken office through January 5 polls, which BNP boycotted.

BDST: 1421 HRS, FEB 13, 2015