A man was killed and four others received bullet wounds in a police “encounter” with alleged blockaders in Sitakunda of Chittagong last night.

The deceased was identified as Arif, 22, while the injured were Rubel, Sohel, Nurul Huda and Parvez, said Nayek Mohammad Hamid of Chittagong Medical College Hospital police outpost.

He said Arif was declared dead on arrival at CMCH around 11:30pm.

Saiful Islam, assistant superintendent of police of Chittagong, claimed that a group of criminals hurled a crude bomb at a police petrol team in Nonachhara area around 9:30pm.

The group then opened fire on the team, forcing the police to retaliate, the ASP claimed. The team later found five people with bullet wounds, two petrol, 10 crude bombs and three bullets at the spot, he said.

Meanwhile, on the 40th day of the blockade yesterday, six vehicles were torched in separate incidents in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rangpur and Laxmipur, according to fire service sources.

Laxmipur police said they arrested Anwar, 15, in connection with torching a lorry and a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in the town.

In Dhaka, alleged blockaders hurled two crude bombs at the car of KM Zakaria, director (treasury) of Banglalink, near Mohakhali flyover around 7:30pm. None was hurt.

A bus was also torched at Nabisco intersection yesterday.

At least eight people were injured in a crude bomb attack on a bus near Beribandh of Mohammadpur and another homemade bomb attack near TSC of Dhaka University.

Two bombs exploded at Karwan Bazar underpass yesterday evening while another one went off near BGMEA Bhaban, where a token hunger strike was being observed against the blockade.

Alleged hartal and blockade supporters threw a petrol bomb at a bus in Bahaddarhat of Chittagong last night. None was hurt.

A truck was torched at Pirganj of Rangpur.

Alleged blockaders exploded three crude bombs in front of the Shaheed Minar in Munshiganj. 

Police yesterday arrested seven BNP-Jamaat men from Trishal and Ishwarganj of Mymensingh in connection with “planning subversive activities”, reports our correspondent.

Meanwhile, activists of the BNP-led alliance brought out processions at several places in the country protesting “oppression” on alliance men and demanding fresh parliamentary polls under a neutral government.

BNP units in Sirajganj and Bogra called 48-hour hartals in the districts from today protesting police action on its processions.

Activists of BNP-Jamaat clashed with police at Simkhali Bazar in Shalikha upazila in Magura, leaving three shot and injuring at least 30.

A police vehicle was vandalised in the incident.

The clash erupted when police tried to disperse a procession of around 400 activists of BNP and Jamaat men, said Zihadul Kabir, superintendent of police in the district.

In Thakurgaon, police detained 26 BNP-Jamaat men yesterday afternoon in connection with assaulting police and vandalising vehicles.