Staff Reporter :
The first phase of the countrywide 72-hour hartal, called by Jamaat-e-Islami protesting death sentence to its Ameer Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, was observed on Thursday. The second phase of their hartal will begin at 6:00 am on Sunday and end on 6:00 am on Tuesday.
Hours after the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 condemned Nizami to death for crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971, Jamaat-e-Islami on Wednesday announced the hartal programme. About 300 Jamaat-Shibir men were arrested while around 100 were injured in clashes with police in several parts of the country during the hartal. The Jamaat-Shibir men were arrested and injured mainly in Sylhet, Rajshahi, Bogra, Khulna and Chapainawabganj. However, Jamaat acting secretary general Dr Shafiqur Rahman in a statement claimed that their 600 leaders and workers were arrested, while at least 150 were injured during the hartal.
The Jamaat-Shibir men brought out processions in the capital city and other parts of the country in support of the hartal. The hartal was, however, observed in a lax manner in the city. The Jamaat-Shibir men brought out separate processions at several parts of the city. The processions were sudden and for short time. At least 30 people were detained in different spots of the city. Police in a drive arrested six Shibir activists from a mess at East Monipur in the morning while seven others were arrested from Lalbagh Amtala. Police also arrested 17 other people from in Mollartek and Dhakkhin Khan area from separate processions. Four of the arrestees were jailed for six months for violence. A mobile court handed over the punishment. Pickets blasted two crude bombs at Khilgaon area also in the morning. At least two cocktails were also blasted in Pallabi area.
A bus was also set on fire at Kadamtoli area at around 2:00pm. However, there was no casualty as the passengers of the Borak Paribahan managed to run away. Later, the Fire Service doused the flames. During the hartal, a good number of private vehicles, auto-rickshaws and buses were seen playing on the city streets. However, no long-route buses departed from the city while train movement was normal. All government offices and many private ones remained open.
In Sylhet, police in a special drive arrested 233 people, including 59 Jamat-Shibir men from several parts of the district. Noor-e-Alam, superintendent of police in Sylhet, said that they arrested the Jamaat-Shibi men, suspecting that they might carry out subversive activities centering the hartal.
In Rajshahi, police in separate drives arrested at least 26 leaders and activists of Jamaat-Shibir, including chief of Jamaat’s Rajshahi Zone Ataur Rahman. Separate teams of police carried out the drives in different areas of the city from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning. Meanwhile, the Jamaat-Shibir men clashed with police in the city. Police fired shots and tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. The clash took place when the Jamaat-Shibir men blocked a road at Katalipara at early hours during the hartal.
In Bogra, police in a special drive arrested 87 people, including 15 Jamaat-Shibr leaders and activists, from several parts of the district. Ujjal Kumar Roy, assistant superintendent of police, said they arrested them suspecting that they might carry out subversive activities centering the hartal. Police also recovered two pipe guns and a cartridge from Sherpur upazila and a shutter gun from Dupchanhia upazila in abandoned condition. Meanwhile, the pickets blocked the Bogra-Naogaon highway by felling timbers to make the hartal a success.
Later, law-enforcement agencies removed them In Khulna, police arrested 27 Jamaat-Shibir leaders and activists from different areas in the city.
In Chapainawabganj, members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) recovered 30 crude bombs from Lalabazar of Sadar upazila in the morning.
In Thakurgaon, the police detained 28 people, including Jamaat-e-Islami activists, from Sadar and Ranisankail upazilas.
