The BNP-Jamaat cadres have intensified their atrocities by targeting educational institutions in addition to their arson attacks on trains, buses and other vehicles as part of their attempts of thwarting the next 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) election schedule to be held on January 7, 2024.
On the eve of a 48-hour long hartal programmed, enforced by BNP and Jammat, a primary school was torched in Gazipur on Saturday night in Gazipur and a passenger train was burnt in Jamalpur while many buses and other vehicles were burnt and damaged across the country.
According to the law enforcement agencies, they have targeted the educational institutions in a planned way so that these could not be used as the polling centres during the JS polls.
Sources said, intelligence agencies have been instructed to intensively vigilance and immediate investigation to find out the real culprits involved in torching of schools.
According to the Prime Minister Office, BNP-Jamaat terrors torched around 500 educational institutions on the eve of 10th JS polls on January 5 in 2014.
In the circumstance, students, guardians and teachers have expressed deepest concern considering the danger for the students and teachers. Besides, year final examinations are going on across the country now.
According to the police in Gazipur, some BNP-Jamat activists torched a tin-shade classroom at night on Sunday.
Masudul Karim, the headmaster of Gilshawar A Jabbar Government Primary School said the fire damaged some classroom benches, electric fans, the ceiling and the fences made of tin.
He said in the school, there are 32 students in the 2nd grade and 35 in the 5th grade.
The students now are facing difficulties as their final examinations are going on, he continued.
He mentioned that the school has been using as a polling center in all kinds of elections since long.
Earlier on November 16, blockade supporters allegedly torched Panchuria Government Primary School No. 15 under Ghior Upazila in Manikganj.
Moushumi Khan, head teacher of the school, said the school was enlisted as a polling center for the next national election.
Our Jamalpur Correspondent Abul Kashem adds: BNP-Jamaat supporters also set fire to three bogies of Jamuna Express train in Jamalpur's Sarishabari early Sunday.
Sub Inspector Tara Mia, duty officer at Jamalpur Railway Station, said miscreants set fire to the train soon after it left Sarishabari station.
BNP-Jamaat men was also allegedly behind the sabotage of the derailment of a freight train on Dhaka-Chattagram-Sylhet rail route near Brahmanbaria Railway Station in Brahmanbaria district on Sunday
Due to the sabotage, over 300 slipper clips were displaced causing damages to half a kilometer of rail track.
Earlier on Saturday, BNP-Jamaat cadres set a commuter train on fire when it had been standing near Gharinda Railway Station in Tangail. Two compartments of the train were completely burnt and another was partially damaged.
Meanwhile, BNP-Jamaat men torched five vehicles in Dhaka city--three in Rajshahi Division, two in Chattogram Division and one in Mymensingh Division.
Pro- BNP activists torched a CNG-run auto-rickshaw by hurling a crude bomb at the vehicle on Kazi Alauddin Road in Dhaka on Sunday morning during the first day of BNP's 48-hour hartal across the country.
This is the second round of hartal enforced by BNP since October 28. It also had enforced five rounds of blockades in last 20 days.