An eight-hour hartal called by Jamaat-Shibir is progressing amid stray incidents of violence in Khulna today (Saturday) while another half-day hartal enforced by Jamaat in Joypurhat to press for tracing out its district unit general secretary Nazrul Islam who was forced to disappear early Friday concluded by and large peacefully.
In Khulna, the district units of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir enforced the shutdown in the district protesting the killing of a Shibir activist during Thursday’s hartal.
Pickets vandalised 13 vehicles including three buses and 8-10 battery-run easy-bikes at Phultala in the city from 7.30 am to 8.00am.
Some 5-6 crude bombs were heard to be exploded at that time.
Besides, pro-hartal men brought out separate processions in the city’s Gollamari and Taltala areas and Dumuria upazila.
Jamaat-Shibir activists blocked the Paikgachha-Khulna-Satkhira Highway in Atharomile area by placing logs at about 11.00am.
Additional police have been deployed in the district to maintain law and order.
Almost all modes of vehicles, except rickshaws, stayed off the streets.
Educational institutions and shops remained closed, excepting Higher Secondary Certificate and its equivalent examinations remaining out of the purview of the strike.
No long-route bused entered or left the district.
Shibir activist Gazi Ali was shot dead and nine people, including two policemen, were injured in a clash between Shibir men and police during the countrywide hartal at Chenchuri in Dumuria upazila on Thursday morning.
In Joypurhat, the half-day hartal enforced by the district Jamaat unit to protest picking up of its general secretary Nazrul Islam allegedly by plainclothes police early Friday is observed without any major violence.
Hartal supporters set fire to a human hauler (tempo) on the Joypurhat-Jamalganj Road in Pahartoli area at about 11.30am.
Meanwhile, police foiled an attempt of Jamaat men to put up barricade on the Joypurhat-Bogra Highway by placing logs in Polli Bidyut area in the morning.
All modes of vehicles, except rickshaws, stayed off the streets while business establishments kept their shutters down.
Higher Secondary Certificate and its equivalent examinations remained out of the shutdown’s purview.
Besides, long-route buses remained off the roads.
A team of plainclothes police picked up district Jamaat general secretary Nazrul Islam from his Saheb Para residence in the town early Friday, claimed the party’s local unit in a press release latter.
But the claim was dismissed by the law enforcers.
Source: UNBConnect
