UNB, Dhaka :The countrywide 36-hour hartal, enforced by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami protesting the death sentence against its ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami for his war crimes, ended peacefully in the city as elsewhere across the country on Monday evening.The 2nd-phase shutdown programme that began at 6am on Sunday ended at 6pm Monday without any major incident of violence at any part of the country as it evoked a lukewarm response.The first-phase 24-hour hartal enforced by the partyprotesting the death sentence ended on Friday also amid poor response. Hours after the International Crimes Tribunal-1 condemned Jamaat ameer Nizami to death for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War on Wednesday, the Islamic party announced a 72-hour staggered nationwide shutdown programme.The 2nd-phase strike was originally called for 48 hours until Tuesday 6am, but the Islamist party on Monday reduced it by 12 hours due to the holy Ashura to be observed in the country on Tuesday. Meanwhile, there is no respite from hartal as Jamaat is set to enforce another spell of 48-hour shutdown from Wednesday morning.On Sunday, the party announced a 24-hour strike for Thursday in protest against the death sentence of its policymaker Mir Quasem Ali for war crimes.On Monday, Jamaat called another 24-hour hartal for Wednesday protesting the verdict of the Supreme Court that upheld the death penalty of its assistant secretary general M Kamaruzzaman.In a statement on Monday, Jamaat acting ameer Makbul Ahmed and acting secretary general Dr Shafiqur Rahman said they would enforce a 48-hour shutdown from 6am on Wednesday till 6am on Friday.Vehicular movement in the city was almost normal and necessary policemen remained deployed at the important points to fend off any untoward situation during the 36-hour shutdown.
