More people hurt, held on second day of hartal
At least 130 people were injured in sporadic clashes in districts yesterday, the second day of countrywide hartal enforced by BNP.
Police also picked up at least 152 people from different areas of the districts during hartal hours, report our correspondents.
BNP called the countywide general strike to protest 'forced disappearance' of the party's Organising Secretary (Sylhet division) and former lawmaker M Ilias Ali from the capital on Tuesday night.
In Chittagong: sporadic incidents marked hartal in the port city yesterday. Police arrested at least 25 BNP activists from different points.
Police and BNP men clashed in front of the city BNP office at Kazir Dewri at around 12:30pm. Police fired tear gas shells to disperse the BNP activists.
Police picked up six BNP men from the area, said Abdullah Al Mahmud, assistant commissioner (Kotwali) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP).
Later, BNP Chittagong city BNP President Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury at press conference claimed that at least 100 party men were injured in police action in Kazir Dewri area.
Police picked up nine activists of Jatiyabadi Mahila Dal, including its Chittagong city unit President Monwara Begum Moni, from Wasa intersection at around 10:30am.
Police charged batons on the BNP activists and arrested 10 people for picketing in Kalamia Bazar area at around 11:00am.
In Barisal: Barring some stray incidents, yesterday's hartal in the city was by and large peaceful.
At least 71 pro-hartal activists were arrested in Barisal city and six districts of the division. Of them, 40 were arrested in the city while the rest in the districts, said sources in Barisal Divisional Range and Metropolitan Police.
All motorised vehicles stayed off the roads in Barisal city during hartal
Hartal supporters set fire to an easy-bike on Kalibari road in the Monday. They also burnt tyres on roads and highways.
In Khulna: Normal life came to standstill due to hartal. Vehicles were off the roads and production in mills and factories remained suspended.
Transactions in business firms and cargo handling at Mongla Port were affected due to daylong shutdown.
Khulna district and city Awami League brought out a procession in the city. KCC Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque led the procession.
In Narayanganj: At least 10 people were injured as police charged batons on a BNP procession in Siddhirganj area. Police also picked up at least 22 pickets from there.
Kamrul Alam Molla, officer-in-charge of Siddhirganj Police Station, said police went into action as pro-hartal activists were disrupting normal life
In Sirajganj: At least three pickets, including the organising secretary of district Jubo Dal, were arrested during hartal hours.
Jubo Dal leader Al Amin Khan was picked up from SS Road in the town. Two other arrestees are Jamaat worker Abdur Razzak and JCD worker Wares Ali. Razzak was arrested in the town while Wares in Ullapara.
In Mymensingh: At least five people were injured as police used truncheons to disperse the pickets near BNP district office at around 3:00pm.
Of the injured, Kamrul Islam, a JCD activist, was admitted to Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital (MMCH).
In Dinajpur: export-import through Hili land port in Hakimpur upzila of Dinajpur was normal during hartal hours.
Hundred of goods-laden trucks from India entered Bangladesh through Hili port while many goods-laden Bangladeshi trucks crossed the border through the port during yesterday's hartal.
At least 10 BNP activists were arrested from different upazilas of the district, according to the police sources.
In Jhenidah: At least 50 people, including 40 BNP men, were injured in a clash between the activists of the two rival parties in front of district BNP office in the afternoon.
Police opened tear gas shells cells to disperse the clashing groups. Additional police have been deployed in the town to avert any further incident.
In C'nawabganj: Pro-hartal activists vandalised a truck at Huzrapur Moholla in Chapainawabganj town at 8:30am, police said.
Police arrested at least 21 BNP activists from different upazilas of the district during hartal hours.
Police said they picked up the BNP men from different areas for picketing.
In Patuakhali: At least 12 people were injured in a clash between the supporters of Awami League and BNP at Amtala Bazar of Dashmina upazila at around 8:00am.
Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
In Rangamati: three pro-hartal activists were injured as the ruling party men swooped on them at Manikchhari on Chittagong-Rangamati road in the morning.
In Shariatpur: At least 50 people, including seven cops, were injured as BCL men attacked a discussion of BNP and its associate organisations in the town during hartal hours yesterday.
BNP district unit president Jamal Sharif Hiru and General Secretary Mahbub Alam Talukdar are among the injured, reports UNB.
Witnesses said the leaders and activists of BNP and its associate organisations were holding a discussion in front of district BNP office in new bus stand area at around 10:00am.
At one stage, the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League equipped with sticks attacked them. Seven police men who were on the spot also suffered injuries as they tried to pacify BCL men, said the witnesses.
The unruly activists of the ruling party's student wing also damaged and looted the BNP office and later set fire to it. Local people doused the flame after 20 minutes.
On information, members of Rapid Action Battalion rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
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