The 14-party enforced the blockade demanding President Iajuddin's resignation from the post of chief adviser of the caretaker government and reconstitution of the Election Commission.

JCD leader Foyez Ahmed Anu, 22, was killed when activists of Awami League (AL) and BNP got locked into a gunfight at the Biswanath upazila headquarters yesterday noon. Foyez Ahmed was the publication secretary of the upazila unit of JCD, the student wing of BNP.

The injured were admitted to the Upazila Health Complex and different private clinics in Sylhet city.

The capital remained isolated from the rest of the country as demonstrators took to streets since morning on the first day of the fourth round blockade while normal life and businesses were hampered.

Blockade supporters set ablaze a car at Dhanmondi in the capital and damaged 10 buses in other areas. Like the previous programmes, the 14-party alliance's major demonstrations in Dhaka were in downtown Gulistan, Muktangon, Bangabandhu Avenue and Noor Hossain Square, Russel Square, Shyamoli, Mirpur, Gabtoli, Mohakhali and Jatrabari.

Educational institutions remained open yesterday as the 14-party combine kept them out of the purview of the blockade. But presence in the government offices, autonomous bodies and private offices was thin while transaction in banks and other financial institutions was reported to be usual.

Our staff correspondent from Sylhet reports: BNP, JCD and Jubadal (BNP's youth front) men started a rally near the BRAC bank at the upazila headquarters at 11:00am yesterday. Tension went high as the venue is close to the house of AL leader Muhibur Rahman, an arch rival of immediate past BNP lawmaker M Ilyas Ali.

At about 12:15pm, as a truck procession led by Muhibur Rahman was passing through the said venue, AL and BNP men got locked into clashes. They exchanged brickbats while about 10 gunshots were heard during the chase and counter chase between the warring activists. Bullet-hit JCD leader Foyez succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital. At a stage, JCD and Jubadal men put Muhib's house under siege for some time. The police charged baton and fired 20 tear gas shells and brought the situation under control by 2:00pm. The Rab men reached the area at about 3:00pm.

Later, police arrested three AL activists from the house of Muhibur Rahman.

Biswanath upazila BNP President Mujahid Ali, who sustained wounds and is undergoing treatment at a private clinic, alleged that the AL men fired from the house of Muhibur Rahman on their rally.

Muhibur Rahman, on the other hand, said the BNP men opened fire in a planned way on the AL activists as they were on the truck procession. The BNP men took possession of the area near his house in the morning in the name of holding a rally to provoke the AL men, Muhib added.

As a JP nominee, former upazila chairman Muhibur Rahman lost to BNP candidate M Ilyas Ali in the 2001 elections. Their rivalry took a serious turn after Muhib joined the AL in 2003.

In Dhaka, activists joined the gatherings at different places with placards inscribed with slogans and cartoons against President Iajuddin Ahmed and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Leaders of the 14-party addressed the gatherings from open trucks. Folk and patriotic songs as well as parodies were being sung on the podiums all day long to inspire the demonstrators.

Most of the automobiles stayed off the roads, but a large number of rickshaws and a few buses and CNG-run scooters plied defying the blockade programme.

In the rallies, the 14-party leaders vowed to continue the blockade until their demands were met. They asked President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed to resign from the post of caretaker government chief for his 'failure' to act neutrally. Sammilito Nagorik Andolon and Peshajibi Samannoy Parishad staged demonstrations at Motijheel near the Biman office. They also sang folk songs and parodies to inspire the participants.

As part of simultaneous movement with the 14-party alliance, leaders and workers of Islami Oikya Jote, Jaker Party, Liberal Democratic Party and Communist Party of Bangladesh staged demonstrations in areas adjoining the Paltan crossing.

In Mirpur, police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) chased and clubbed blockade supporters more than once when the demonstrators vandalised running vehicles.

The blockade supporters retaliated by pelting the law enforcers with brickbats around Mirpur-10 roundabout where the 14-party activists held daylong rallies and performed patriotic songs in support of their blockade programme.

Police constable Nazrul Islam was seriously injured as a brickbat hit him on the head. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later shifted to Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital.

The blockade supporters vandalised at least seven buses and two CNG-run three wheelers including one of daily Prothom Alo at Pallabi, Senpara, Sheorapara, Darussalam Road and Mirpur-10.

Rab and police chased and clubbed some demonstrators when they attacked a double-decker BRTC bus and threw stones at a vehicle of the Rab at Mirpur-10 at 9:15am, witnesses said.

Police detained one Ripon during the incident.

The demonstrators also damaged a CNG-run three-wheeler of a newspaper prompting the law enforcers to chase them. The blockade supporters threw stones at the policemen.

Activists of 14-party combine took to the streets at around 9:00am and started gathering at Mirpur-10 roundabout, Pallabi Bus Stand and Majar Road intersection near Gabtoli.

The local leaders of the combine addressed the rallies held at Mirpur-10 and Pallabi Bus Stand. At intervals, cultural activists sang patriotic songs to keep the demonstrators lively all day long.

Our Chittagong correspondent adds: Vehicles of long routes remained off the roads during the blockade while plying of vehicles in the city was as usual.

Port sources said the loading and unloading of goods inside the port ran as usual but cargo delivery to and from the port remained suspended since the morning due to the disruption of road and rail communications.

During the blockade, Chittagong City Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, also the Chittagong divisional coordinator of the 14-party combine, at a rally at Nimtala asked to keep the shutters of all the garment factories in the city down from today until the demand for reconstitution of the Election Commission was realised.

Mohiuddin said a syndicate of businessmen and garment owners was acting against the demand of the people and was interfering with the ongoing political movements. Mohiuddin also addressed several other rallies at Olanker intersection and Anderkilla.

Liberal Democratic Party also held a rally at the city's Boropole.

Meanwhile, BNP-led four-party alliance organised rallies in different areas of the city including Kazir Dewry and Dewanhat protesting the blockade.