Jamaat enforces shutdown Clashes, blasts, arsons mark hartal

Locals trying to douse a fire that pro-hartal pickets set to a truck in Gazipur Monday during a daylong countrywide hartal called by Jamaat-e-Islami. Photo: TV grab

Locals trying to douse a fire that pro-hartal pickets set to a truck in Gazipur Monday during a daylong countrywide hartal called by Jamaat-e-Islami.

Four policemen were injured as pro-hartal activists hurled cocktails targeting law enforcers in Sirajganj during Jamaat-e-Islami-enforced countrywide hartal (shutdown) on Monday.

The hartal supporters torched two vehicles and vandalised six more in Gazipur, Jhenidah and Chittagong.

Eleven cocktails were also blasted in Bogra while four in Chittagong.

Jamaat has enforced the shutdown protesting an International Crimes Tribunal’s verdict that jailed three of its leaders for contempt of court.

SIRAJGANJ

Hartal supporters hurled two cocktails targeting on duty police in a sudden attack at Bakua in Ullahpara upazila around 10:00am, leaving four policemen injured, said Habibul Islam, officer-in-charge of Ullahpara Police Station.

They also blasted two more cocktails before leaving the place after being chased by the police.

The injured were rushed to Sirajganj General Hospital with splinter injures.

Immediate after the incident, the sporadic clashes took place between law enforcers and pro-hartal activists on 9-kilometre area stretching from Ullahpara station to Hatikumrul area in Sirajganj Sadar upazila.

During the clashes, pro-hartal activists blasted a number of cocktails while police fired blank shots to disperse the hartal supporters.

JHENIDAH

Pro-hartal activists torched a passenger bus in Kotchandpur upazila at about 6:30am.

Law enforcers picked up Helal Uddin, 22, a Jamaat activist, from the spot on charge of setting fire to the bus, Sahinur Rahman, OC of Kotchandpur Police Station told The Daily Star.

BOGRA

Pro-hartal activists hurled three cocktails towards police during a clash at Satanibari of the town at about 11:00am.

Law enforcers fired several rounds of rubber bullets and teargas shells to disperse them, said Gaziur Rahman, additional superintendent of police in Bogra.

Besides, Jamaat-Shibir men blasted five cocktails in Seaugari area of the town around 7:00am when police tried to disperse the activists, who blockaded a road after holding a procession, the police official said.

Pro-hartal activists also blasted thee cocktails at Mafizpaglar intersection in the town around 8:00am.

They staged demonstration on Dhaka-Rangpur highway by burning tyres at Mahastan, he added.

Police rounded up a Shibir activist on charge of picketing at Mafizpaglar intersection in the morning.

CHITTAGONG

Hartal supporters hurled two cocktails from a procession in Hemshen Lane around 7:30am, said Shah Mohammad Abdur Rouf, assistant commissioner of police in Chittagong (Panchlaish zone).

Besides, two more cocktails were blasted and a minibus was vandalised in Nayabazar area in the city around 10:00am, said Md Shahjahan, OC of Halishahar Police Station.

GAZIPUR

Pro-hartal activists torched a truck in Bhogra bypass area around 8:00am and also vandalised at least five human haulers in Tinsarak area, said Abu Zafar, station officer of Gazipur Fire Service and Civil Defence.

RANGPUR

Police rounded up six pickets from different areas in the city, said Md Shahabuddin Khalifa, OC of Kotwali Police Station.

COMILLA

Pro-hartal activists clashed with police in Comilla but details of the incident could not be known immediately.

Source:The Daily star