Staff Reporter :The first phase of the countrywide 24-hour hartal, called by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami demanding the release of its senior leader Maulana Delwar Hossain Sayedee, who has been jailed unto death by the Supreme Court after commuting his death sentence, ended on Thursday amid stray incidents. The second phase of 24-hour shutdown will begin at 6:00 am on Sunday.The party will also hold doa mahfil today and stage demonstrations across the country tomorrow (Saturday) as part of their protest against the verdict.According to the claim of Jamaat-e-Islami, police arrested over 150 leaders and workers of the Jamaat-Shibir while about 50 people were injured during the hartal across the country. In the capital, Jamaat-Shibir activists brought out processions in several parts of the city in the morning in support of the hartal. But they could not stay on the streets for long, as police dispersed them almost immediately. Police arrested two supporters of Islami Chhatra Shibir from Mirpur area from a procession. The Jamaat-Shibir activists also brought out a procession at Shyamoli area. The hartal supporters also tried to bring out processions at Mohakhali rail crossing, Shahjahanpur and some other areas in the city, but police foiled their attempts. Huge number of police and members of other law enforcing agencies were deployed at the important points to avert any untoward situation during hartal hours. Train and launch services were normal but long-route bus services remained suspended till noon. In Rajshahi, the Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) turned into battlefield due to a triangular clash among the activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, Chhatra League and the police, leaving at least 25 Shibir activists injured. Four of them were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital with serious injury. Police arrested at least 11 Shibir men from the spot and different halls of the university. According to the witnesses, the clash took place at noon, as a seminar of the Department of Civil Engineering was going on in the Central Cafeteria on the campus, while the hartal supporters asked the organisers of the seminar not to continue the function during hartal hours. In Narayanganj, at least 10 vehicles were vandalised from a procession of Islami Chhtra Shibir in Galachipa area in the city in the morning. Later, police charged baton to disperse the pickets and arrested a Shibir activist.In Lakshmipur, police arrested eight Jamaat-Shibir activists, including Lakshmipur municipality Jamaat president Nur Nabi Faruk, from a procession. The Jamaat-Shibir men took out the procession on the Lakshmipur-Ramgati road. A police patrol immediately intervened and detained eight persons. In Sylhet, the hartal supporters brought out processions in several parts of the city and other parts in the district. A vehicle was vandalised at Amborkhana point in the city during a procession. Later, police arrested two persons from the spot suspecting for their involvement in the incident. Police also arrested two Jamaat activists from Madina Market area. In Comilla, police fired on a procession leaving at least three Jamaat-Shibir activists injured with bullet hit. Police also arrested 18 Jamaat-Shibir men from different upazilas of Satkhira, nine from Jhalokati district town, five from Rajshahi city, four from Rangpur city and and three from Feni district town during the hartal hours.
