Dhaka, Feb 27 (UNB) – Pro-hartal elements torched at least seven vehicles and damaged several others in the capital, Chittagong and Comilla on Wednesday evening, ahead of Thursday’s shutdown called by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
Jamaat called the hartal to push for their demands, including the release of party leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee facing war crimes trial.
In the capital, three vehicles were torched and a dozen others vandalised in different parts of the city.
Witnesses said pro-hartal activists torched a Leguna carrying passengers in front of National Bank at Satmasjit Road in Dhanmondi at about 6:50 pm while a passenger bus was set on fire at Bangla Motor around 8:00 pm.
Pedestrians had doused the fire before firefighters reached the spots in the two incidents when several other vehicles were also damaged.
Hartal supporters also set a covered van afire at Mirpur-10 around 10:35 pm which was doused by a fire fighter unit after several minutes.
However, there was no report of any injury in the incidents.
Meanwhile, several vehicles were also damaged in Kuril Biswa Road area after the evening.
In Chittagong, the hartal supporters set afire to a truck in the EPZ area in the city at about 8:30 pm.
The Jamaat-Shibir men brought separate processions in different parts of the port city in the evening in support of the hartal. They also exploded crude bombs to create panic among the city dwellers.
In Comilla, the pro-hartal activists torched two trucks and a tank lorry on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Sadar upazila.
Witnesses said the hartal supporters set a truck afire at Beltali and another at Batabaria while the lorry at Amtali in between 7:30 pm and 7:45 pm.
On information, firefighters rushed in doused the blaze.
Source: UNBConnect
