Several groups of armed BNP activists on motorbikes patrolled the Natore-Bogra Highway and blocked several hundred vehicles carrying opposition workers from joining the human wall formation. They barricaded the highway at Gohail with trees and logs, said witnesses.

AL workers from Natore were badly beaten up by BNP men when they (AL supporters) tried to defy the barricades at around 2.30pm.

Some 12 vehicles with Workers Party activists returned to Rajshahi after being blocked by the barricade. Later in the evening they held a protest rally in Rajshahi city.

Workers Party Politburo Member Fazle Hossain Badsha yesterday told The Daily Star that at Nandigram six youths wielding firearms asked them to go back home. The youths identified themselves as BNP activists, he added.

"Police too told us to return home when we complained of the barricade at Nandigram," said Badsha adding that there were many more who like them could not join the human wall.

Rajshahi AL leader HM Khairuzzaman Liton said they joined the human wall at Hatikumrul in Sirajganj, though they were originally scheduled to join it at Bogra. He said barricades put up by BNP men did not let as many as 60 vehicles carrying AL workers enter Bogra.

Sherpur: A number of people were injured when police charged baton to disperse a post human wall procession.

Rangpur: Some 25 persons, including one joint secretary of the Awami League and a leader of the Jubo League suffered injuries at Palashbari in Gaibandha district around 2-30 p.m.

Three central leaders led the programme. They were Promode Mankin MP of Awami League, Syed Zafar Sajjad of the JSD and Sazzad Zahir Chandan of the CPB.

Speaking to the participants, Syed Zafar Sajjad alleged that the member of the law enforcing agencies arrested hundreds of leaders and workers of the combined opposition and innocent people also on Friday night and yesterday morning to foil the program.

Gaibandha: About 21 leaders and workers of Awami League and its front organizations were injured in attacks by pro-government activists and police at Palashbari upazila sadar.

Of the injured, district AL joint general secretary Farhad Abdullah Harun Bablu and Jubo League leader Subhash Chandra Barman were admitted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

The district AL alleged that activists of BNP and its front organizations launched the attack on the opposition workers when they came out to join the human wall program at about 3pm. Islami Chhatra Shibir workers and police also joined the attackers, it said. The human wall was formed at about 3:30 pm after the attackers retreated.

Naogaon: Police held 25 buses carrying the activists of 14-combined opposition parties, including those of Awami League, Jubo League and Bangladesh Chhatra League. The buses were on way to Mahasthangar in Bogra to join the no-confidence human wall program.

A police official said that on order from the higher authorities, they held the vehicles at Adamdighi upazila sadar and at Mokamtala.

Local sources said 8-9 buses were damaged at Mokamtala, creating tension among about 2,000 activists who instantly staged demonstration and later laid siege to a road at the Naogaon bridge crossing at 3 pm.

A huge traffic jam ensued on both sides of the road during the half-an-hour road barricade. The opposition activists also held a protest meeting.

Naogaon: Opposition workers were barred from joining the agitation program at many points in Naogaon.