34 vehicles torched, vandalised in Comilla, Rajshahi, Pirojpur
Pro-hartal activists try to block a road by felling trees at Garadob bazzar in Gangni upazila of Meherpur during Jamaat-enforced 48-hour hartal on Tuesday.
At least 40 people including 14 policemen were injured in clashes between pro-hartal activists and law enforcers in Meherpur as Jamaat-e-Islami is observing a 48-hour countrywide hartal (shutdown) since Tuesday morning.
Police had to fire rubber bullets and teargas canisters to disperse the unruly activists.
Meanwhile, the hartal supporters torched and vandalised at least 34 vehicles in Comilla, Rajshahi, Pirojpur and Chittagong.
A driver received burn injuries as pickets set fire to the private car in Sitakunda of Chittagong.
The pickets also exploded 15 cocktails in Rajshahi, Barisal, Bogra and Chittagong and blockaded different highways and roads to observe the hartal.
Police detained at least 34 people from different districts on charges of plotting subversive activities, attacking law enforcers and damaging vehicles.
Jamaat has enforced the shutdown in protest against the High Court verdict cancelling the Jamaat registration with the Election Commission.
Meherpur
Masudul Alam, officer-in-charge of Gangni Police Station, said the activists of Jamaat and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, tried to block a local road in Garadob bazaar area around 9:30am.
Being resisted by police, the Jamaat-Shibir men locked into altercation with them.
Later, the activists equipped with wooden and bamboo sticks swooped on the police triggering the clash, the OC said.
Police fired 50 rubber bullets and 13 teargas canisters during the clash that left 30 people including 10 cops injured, he added.
In another clash between hartal supporters and police, 16 people were injured on Chuadanga road in Rajnagar area of the town around 8:30am, Mofazzal Hossain, superintendent of police in Meherpur, told The Daily Star.
Four policemen were among the injured.
COMILLA
Jamaat-Shibir activists vandalised at least 25 vehicles and set fire to a truck in the district.
Abul Faysal, officer-in-charge of Daudkandi Police Station, said the Jamaat-Shibir men vandalised 15 trucks on Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Eliotgonj in Daudkandi upazila half an hour before the hartal began.
They also damaged five covered van in Haratoli-Jagurjuli area in Sadar upazila around 7:00am.
Meanwhile pro-hartal activists set fire to a Ginger-laden truck and also vandalised five covered vans at a local bazaar in Chouddagram upazila early hours of Tuesday.
Four Jamaat-Shibir activists were detained from different parts of the district on charge of attacking law enforcers and damaging vehicles, police said.
CHITTAGONG
The pickets set fire to a private car on Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Sitakunda, leaving it driver Jasimuddin severely injured. He was undergoing treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital, police said.
Jamaat-Shibir activists blasted nine cocktails in Halishahar and Kazir Dewri intersection in the city.
Police detained one Mohammad Nur, 58, from Halishahar for blasting hand bombs.
The hartal supporters also vandalised five CNG-run auto-rickshaws in Lohagora upazila.
RAJSHAHI
Around 10 Jamaat-Shibir men blocked the Rajshahi-Natore bypass road by felling trees and set fire to a stationed truck pouring kerosene, Ziaur Rahman, OC of Boalia Boalia Police Station, told The Daily Star.
On information, firefighters rushed the spot and doused the blaze around 6:30am, OC added.
The hartal supporters blasted at least three cocktails in Sreerampur area of the city around 6:30am, he said.
In a pre-hartal raid, police detained at least six people from different parts in the city suspecting that they were plotting subversive activities, he added.
KURIGRAM
The activists of Jaamat and Shibir blocked Kurigram-Rangpur highway at Selimnagar Bazar point in Rajarhat upazila to create obstacle to vehicular movement.
They also blocked Kurigram-Bhurungamari and Kurigram-Chilmari roads in the morning.
SATKHIRA
Police arrested Maulana Mosharraf Hossain, Jamaat ameer of Budhhata union in Ashashuni upazila, and a Shibir activist, Mohidul Islam, on charge of plotting subversive activities.
The law enforcers also arrested Jamaat activists Arshad Ali from Kolaroa upazila on the same charges.
Meanwhile, the pro-hartal activists put barricades on Satkhira-Jessore road at Kadamtola, Ashashuni-Satkhira road at Ramchandra, Satkhira-Khulna road at Benerpata and Satkhira-Kaliganj road at Bankal early Tuesday.
Police freed the roads removing the barricades around 9:00am.
CHANDPUR
Police picked up 11 Jamaat-Shibir men from Sadar, Kachua, Haimchar and Faridganj upazilas for their attempt to create chaos during hartal hours.
BARISAL
The hartal supporters hurled a cocktail from a procession at Nakutia in the city, Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Barisal Kotwali Model Police Station told The Daily Star.
No long distance buses were seen leaving the terminals during the hartal.
BOGRA
Pro-hartal activists hurled two cocktails targeting policemen in front of Mohammad Ali Hospital in the town around 7:15am.
Besides, pickets tried to block Dhaka-Rangpur highway by setting fire to tyres around 7:00am but left the scene immediately after being chased by law enforcers.
Three platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh personnel have been deployed in the town to maintain law and order in the district, said Shafiqur Reza Biswas, deputy commissioner of the district.
PIROJPUR
Pro-hartal activists vandalised three shops and torched a motorcycle in Boudubi Bazar area in Zianagar upazila.
They also damaged a bamboo-made bridge in the area.
Witnesses claimed that the pickets felled 15 roadside trees for blocking the Parerhat-Lahuribazar road. The road remains blocked till 1:00pm when the report was filed.
Police detained 10 people from Mothbaria, Bhandaria and Zianagar upazilas in connection with vandalism in the district during hartal.
Source: The Daily Star
