Sub-Inspector (SI) Abul Bashar was killed after being hit with stones thrown by opposition men at Murgapara in Narayanganj during the programme of the Awami League (AL)-led 14-party opposition combine.

Golam Mustafa Milon, a city ward opposition activist, died during a clash near Titumeer College in the capital.

With serious head injuries, SI Bashar was taken to Sonargaon Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead. Bashar had been brought to Dhaka from Sherpur for duty during the opposition's blockade programme.

AL leaders claimed that Milon, vice-president of Gulshan Sechchha Sebak League, died after being hit by a tear-gas shell and rubber bullets fired by the police.

A doctor at the Dhaka Medical College Morgue said no mark of injury was found on Milon's body. "We will have to conduct viscera test to find out the reasons of his death," Dr Tejendra Chandra Das, head of the three-member autopsy board, told reporters.

Violent clashes were also reported at different places in Dhaka and other districts during the six-hour demonstration starting at 9:00am. The law enforcers charged batons, lobbed tear gas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the opposition activists who were throwing stones and brickbats at them, witnesses said.

Dozens of vehicles and a train were damaged as drivers tried to defy the blockades, snapping rail and road communication across the country.

The clashes between the police and opposition workers in Narayanganj, Sirajganj, Pabna, Kishoreganj and Sylhet left about 100 wounded.

In Dhaka, businessmen kept shutters down, educational institutions remained closed and the presence at public offices was thin. Only rickshaws and a few auto-rickshaws and minibuses plied the streets.

Authorities deployed more than 10,000 additional police and paramilitary troops in the capital and other cities.

Besides electoral reforms, the opposition's demands include changes in the caretaker government system and resignation of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and the two election commissioners.

In Dhaka, clashes between the police and opposition activists took place mainly at Mirpur, Mohakhali, Russell Square and the old part of the city. The opposition activists damaged a number of vehicles and hurled brickbats at the law enforcers during the sporadic clashes.

POLICE OFFICER KILLED
Riot police and opposition demonstrators locked in a fierce battle for about four and a half hours at Murgapara intersection on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Narayanganj from 10:00am.

Thousands of demonstrators threw stones at the police, forcing them to retreat and taking control of the busy highway. Pickets set fire to about 10 vehicles.

Half an hour later, additional police forces from Kanchpur rushed to the area and engaged in violent clashes with the pickets.

SI Basher died during the clashes.

Following the death, the police started indiscriminately beating opposition men, local people and journalists.

Blockades on Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Sylhet highways created serious traffic congestion near Kanchpur Bridge and Meghna ghat areas.

Opposition leaders and activists led by AL leader Gazi Golam Dastagir brought out a procession at Rupganj in Narayanganj and took position at the Tarabo intersection around 10:00am.

As police chased the opposition activists, they pelted brickbats at the law enforcers. The clashes left at least 25 persons, including policemen and Dastagir, injured.

The police lobbed at least 50 rounds of tear shells and picked up a number of opposition activists.

OPPOSITION ACTIVIST KILLED
Golam Mustafa Milon, 45, was critically injured when police charged baton, fired tear gas canisters and rubber bullets to disperse the opposition workers in front of Titumeer College at 10:30am.

Milon died around 10:45am while being taken to a nearby clinic. As the news of his death spread, Mohakhali area turned into a battlefield. Agitating leaders and workers brought out a procession carrying his body at 12:10pm.

But as police intercepted the procession at Banani Road No. 8, clashes broke out between them and the demonstrators.

At one stage, the police took away the dead body and dispersed the procession, leaving some 15 opposition men injured. Later, the body was sent to DMCH for autopsy.

Milon's wife Rekha said her husband was first injured when a tear gas shell hit him. Later, the law enforcers tortured him to death in front of Titumeer College.

Mahabubur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Gulshan Police Station, said the opposition worker died of cardiac arrest.

A sand trader by profession, Milon hailed from Mathbaria of Pirojpur. He left behind his wife, three daughters and a son.

Earlier, opposition men led by AL Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed brought out a procession at about 10:00am in Mohakhali area. Soon processions led by Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon, Samyabadi Dal leader Dilip Barua and Gono Forum leader Pankaj Bhattacharya joined them.

At least 25 people including AL leader Abdul Latif Siddique and a photojournalist were injured in sporadic clashes between the police and demonstrators in Mirpur area in the morning.

Mirpur-10 ward unit AL Treasurer Mohammad Mostafa was critically injured when a police van hit him around 11:45am. The vehicle was being chased by a group of demonstrators.

Mostafa is undergoing treatment at Orthopaedic Hospital (Pangu Hospital).

Latif Siddique and several others were injured when police in riot gear barred a procession on Mazar Road around 10:30am and beat them indiscriminately.

Demonstrators threw stones at the police and chased them several times during the melee that ended around 12:30pm.

Locals said the police picked up an innocent shopkeeper during the clashes.

Workers of the 14-party opposition combine damaged at least eight passenger buses and other vehicles at Mirpur-10 and on Begum Rokeya Sarani after police had prevented them from taking out a procession.

At least 14 people were picked up from the area.

At Russell Square, opposition workers clashed with the police intermittently throughout the day while in Jurain pickets set fire to a police vehicle.

Our Sirajganj correspondent reports: At least 50 people, including District AL President Abdul Latif Mirza MP, police and journalists were injured in a clash between police and 14-party combine at Hati Kumrul on the Dhaka-Bogra Highway.

As police blocked the procession of the 14-party combine and charged baton on them at around 10:00am, the opposition activists pelted brickbats at them. Six vehicles and two shops were damaged during the clash.

At least 10 people were injured when police charged baton on the opposition gathering on the Dhaka-Pabna Highway at Birahimpur, reports our Pabna correspondent.

Agitated 14-party men blockaded Pabna bus stand and damaged a number of vehicles.

Twenty people including a police constable were injured and Bajitpur upazila AL office, several restaurants and shops ransacked when BNP men attacked AL activists at Sorarchar Railway Station at about 10:00am, our Kishoreganj correspondent reports.

Our Gazipur correspondent reports: Clashes between police and activists of 14-party opposition combine at Jagrata Chourangi of Chandna intersection left 12 people including Gazipur District AL President Mozammel Huque injured.

Opposition activists led by local MP Jahid Ahsan Russel blocked the Tongi Station Road level crossing on the Tongi-Kaliganj highway and stopped Dhaka-bound train Surma Mail. Police lobbed 15 tear gas shells to disperse the mob.

Our staff correspondent from Sylhet reports: Opposition activists damaged at least 15 vehicles at the city's South Surma while the Chittagong-bound inter-city train Paharika Express was delayed by two hours due to the opposition's blockade.

Opposition activists put up barricades at Olonkar crossing and AK Khan Gate in the port city's Pahartali at 9:00am, closing movements of inter-district buses and trucks to and from Chittagong, reports our staff correspondent from Chittagong.

Hundreds of agitating opposition leaders and activists stopped Dhaka-bound Karnaphuli Express and Chittagong-bound Sagarika Express at AK Khan Gate for about an hour.

Vehicular movement stopped as the 14-party activists blocked six major entries of Dinajpur, reports our Dinajpur correspondent.

They also blocked Dhaka-bound inter-city trains Teesta and Drutajan Express at Parbatipur until 3:00pm.

Our JU correspondent reports: Pickets vandalised two buses near Savar Bus Stand while the blockade disrupted the vehicular movement on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway until 2:00pm.

Our Jessore correspondent adds: Opposition men stopped a Khulna-bound commuter train at Nawapara industrial town and blocked several highways in the district, leaving Indian passengers stranded at Benapole land port.

14-party calls dawn-to-dusk hartal for tomorrow The 14-party opposition alliance will enforce a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal tomorrow protesting the killing of an Awami League (AL) activist at Mohakhali during their countrywide blockade programme