Staff Reporter :
Activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir locked into clashes with police across the country after the ICT verdict awarded Jamaat chief Motiur Rahamn Nizami death sentence for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
The clashes occurred in capital Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulana, Rangpur, Barisal, Bogra, Pabna, Jhenaidah, Satkhira, Nilphamri, Joypurhat, Noakhali, Chuadanga, Habiganj, Sherpur, Mymensingh after the pronouncement of verdict on Wednesday noon.
The activists of Jamaat and Shibir brought out violent processions and demanded Nizami’s acquittal from all the charges.
The Jamaat-Shibir men hurled cocktail and threw brickbats at law enforcing agencies during their protest prompting the police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel to charge batons, lob tear gas shells and fire rubber bullet to bring the situation under control. The actions of law enforcing agencies left over 130 Jamaat-Shibir members injured during the clashes.
The law enforcing agencies also arrested over 1,000 Jamaat, Shibir, Chhatra Dal and BNP men on Tuesday night and Wednesday. BGB members have deployed in the capital city, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Sylhet, Pabna, Chuadanga and Noakhali considering the security measure and to avert any untoward situation in the areas, sources said.
In Dhaka, the activists of Jamaat and Shibir exploded several cocktails at Rampura, Paltan, Bondor Bazar Korim Ullah market, Mirpur-10, Mogbazar, Gulstan, Jatrabari and Bangla Motor. Police arrested at least 125 Jamaat-shibir men from the areas.
Sylher: At least 10 people were injured during a clash between Jamaat-e-Islami and Awami League activists in the city on Wednesday. Witnesses said the AL activists, led by its central organising secretary Mesbah Uddin Siraj, brought out a victory procession in the Court Point area after the ICT-1 condemned Nizami to death.
In Rajshahi, Jamaat-shibor men have involved in clashes with police in the metropolitan area. Police arrested at least 23 people from the metropolis. BGB has also been deployed in the city.
Bogra: Police arrested 141 men, including the leaders and activists of Jamaat-Shibir, in separate drives in 12 thanas of the district during last 24 hours. In Chittagong, the law enforcing agencies conducted a crackdown in the city and arrested at least 35 leaders and activists of Jamaat, Shibir and BNP.
In Khulna: Police arrested over 55 people from across the city. Jamaat-Shibir men also locked into clashes with the police on Wednesday.
Rangpur: Jamaat-Shibir men brought out a procession protesting the verdict but police foiled it in the city’s Paita Chattar area. At least 23 people were arrested after the procession.
Chapainawabganj: Police in a special drive arrested a total of 86 people, including 29 leaders and activists of Jamaat and Shibir in the district on Tuesday night. Members of BGB have also been deployed
SATKHIRA: Police arrested 49 men, including 13 activists of Jamaat-Shibir, in separate drives in different thanas on Tuesday night. Jhenaidah: Police arrested 13 Shibir men from six upazila of the district on Wednesday morning. Four platoon of BGB deployed in Moheshpur and Sadar upazilas ahead of verdict to avert any untoward incident.
Sirajganj: Four leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP have been arrested from Sirajganj Sadar and Ullapara. RAB, Police and BGB have been patrolling the area.
Pabna: police arrested at least 89 people, including 16 Jamaat-Shibir men on Tuesday night. A total of three platoons of BGB members have been deployed in Pabna district from Tuesday night.
Noakhali: Law enforcing agencies have detained 46 people in Noakhali to prevent any untoward incident in the aftermath of the war crimes verdict for Nizami.
Chuadanga: Police arrested 10 Jamaat-shibir men in the district. BGB has been deployed in various spot of the district.
Magura: Jamaat-Shibir men brought out a procession and staged a rally in Magura town against the verdict.
Jessore: Police arrested 71 people, including 18 Jamaat-Shibir men across the district. BGB has been deployed on Tuesday night.
Nilphamari: Plice arrested at least 47 people from Nilphamari Sadar upazila ahead of Nizami’s verdict.
Feni: At least five Jamaat-Shibir men were detained by police in Dagonbhuyan upazila under Feni district.
Chadpur: Police arrested a BNP leader and seven other persons from the district town. Munshiganj: Police arrested five people from Munshiganj sadar upazial by conducting drives on secret information. Director General of BGB told The New Nation over phone yesterday that: We have deployed BGB in the capital and some districts ahead of Nizami verdict.
Ten platoons of BGB members have been deployed in the capital alone and three to four platoons sent to the district level. They would remain standby and would swing into action as per government directives.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) Masudur Rahman said they would do everything on their part for the sake of security of all citizens.
