Staff Reporter :
The half-day strike called by the Left Democratic Alliance, protesting the price hike of essential commodities like rice, edible oil, fuel, fertiliser and such other items, was observed in Dhaka as elsewhere across the country on Thursday.
Police attacked the picketers at Shahbagh intersection while the leaders and activists of the Left Democratic Alliance, a combine of seven left political parties, tried to block the vehicular movement there.
Leaders of the alliance claimed that several workers were injured by the police’s baton charge against them in the Shahbagh intersection.
The strike began at 6:00am and ended at 12:00 noon.Leaders of the left political parties told the journalists that the police attacked their processions at the Shahbagh intersection.
Meanwhile, the main event took place at Purana Paltan intersection. The strikers observed the strike through blocking roads, and chanting slogans in the point.
The strike ended through a protest rally in presence of a huge number of police personnel.
The leftist leaders said that the rally demanded immediate reduction in the prices of fuel oil, fertilisers and essential commodities. They also demanded the resignation of the government immediately.
Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) President Shah Alam asked the government to step down as it failed to control prices of essentials. Presided over the protest rally, CPB General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince condemned the police attack on the programme.
He said that four Chattra Union leaders were arrested on Wednesday evening at Purana Paltan crossing while distributing leaflets among the people.
“Those Chhatra Union men are still in the custody of the Paltan police,’ he said. Prince demanded immediate unconditional release of those detainees.
United Communist League General Secretary Abdus Satter, Socialist Party of Bangladesh leader Bazlur Rashid Firoz and Democratic Revolutionary Party General Secretary Mushrefa Mishu, among others, delivered speeches at the programme.
The vehicular movement was almost normal in the city except in and areas near Purana Paltan.
LDA leaders and activists were seen picketing at places including Purana Paltan, Matijheel, Shahbagh, Jurain and Mirpur. Additional police forces were seen deployed at different places across the capital.
The government on August 5 announced the price hiking of diesel, petrol and octane by up to 51 per cent.
That instigated further increasing of the transport fares as well hiking of essential commodity prices.
