Staff Reporter :
The half-day hartal called by the two platforms of some left leaning student organisations demanding arrest of Tonu’s killers was observed amid some sporadic incident across the country on Monday.
The Progressive Students’ Alliance and the Anti-Imperialist Students’ Union called the hartal on Saturday.
At least 50 pro-hartal activists were injured and 15 others were detained during the hartal. Traffic in Dhaka city was thinner than usual in the starting hours. Private cars and public buses were plying the streets and their numbers increased as the day progressed.Students protesting government’s failure to arrest the killers of Tonu, blockade at Shahbagh intersection, one of the major intersections in Dhaka, created acute traffic congestion in the capital in the morning.
Commuters were stuck in almost all over the capital including roads linked to Shahbagh, Kakrail, Ramna, Mohakhali, Banani, Khilkhet reported their painful experience in the roads during the peak hours.
Student bodies and pro-hartal activists were also seen in position at Mohammadpur, Malibagh, Paltan and Old Dhaka in the capital to clamp the hartal. Separate processions were brought out at Paltan and Shahbagh – the political hub of Dhaka.
“At least 50 of our leaders and activists were injured in the attacks of police across the country. The police also detained 15 activists from Savar,” pro-hartal leaders claimed.
Our JU Correspondent adds: Police detained at least 13 pro-hartal activists after they blockaded Dhaka-Aricha highway for about an hour. Ashulia Model Police Officer-in-Charge Mohsinul Quadir told The New Nation that detentions were made to clear the highway. Around 100 students under the banner of Progotishil Chhatra Jote gathered the highway.
The arrested students have been identified as Masuk Helal Anik, Vice-president of Chhatra Front of JU unit, Susmita Morium, Secretary of Chhatra Front, Abid Sarkar Sohag, Secretary of JU Chhatra Union, Akash, Ujjal, Mitul, Siyam, Jisan, Taniya, Rakib, Chandan and Tusar.
Additional police have been deployed in the University Prantik gate to avert any untoward situation, the police official said.
