The 60-hour countrywide shutdown, enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance, entered the second day today (Monday).
The first day hartal was marked by incidents of violence, clashes, vandalism and crude bomb blasts across the country, leaving at least five people killed.
The five people — one BNP leader, one Swechchhasebak Dal leader, one Jubo League man, one Awami League activist and a Jamaat activist — were killed in violence in Faridpur, Jessore, Pirojpur, Bogra and Pabna districts respectively during the hartal hours till 6pm on Sunday.
Besides, at least 135 vehicles were damaged, several hundred crude bombs blasted and around 450 people injured across the country. The law enforcers also arrested over 150 opposition activists during hartal hours on the first day.
Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Masudur Rahman told UNB that 41 people were arrested for their involvement in hartal violence and 11 of them were sentenced to six months’ imprisonment each.
He also said that five vehicles were vandalised and eight torched in the capital till 7pm on Sunday.
Huge law enforcers are guarding the city streets to avoid any untoward incident. A large number of law enforcers were deployed in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.
Addressing a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office about the first-day of hartal, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said police arrested over 600 opposition activists across the country while more than 1,500 were injured in attacks by law enforcers and ‘ruling party cadres’.
Over 15,000 opposition men were implicated in fresh ‘false’ cases and 12 activists sentenced to six months’ imprisonment by mobile courts, he further claimed.
The BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance enforced the nonstop 60-hour countrywide hartal at 6:00 am on Sunday demanding formation of a non-party polls-time cabinet.
Source: UNBConnect
