Second Spell of BNP Called Shutdown
Stray incidents of violence, more arrests on second day
1) Police charge batons on a BNP procession in Rajshahi city, 2) Former Rajshahi mayor and city BNP President Mizanur Rahman Minu lies on a road protesting police action, 3) Jubo League brings out a procession in Sylhet city, 4) CK Ghosh Road, an important business area of Mymensingh town, sees a few rickshaws and pedestrians, 5) Police intercept a pro-hartal procession in Barisal city, 6) The main road in Munshiganj town gives a deserted look, 7) Pickets burn tyres on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway in Narsingdi, 8) Stick-wielding BCL activists take out an anti-hartal procession on Mujib Sarak in Faridpur town during yesterday's countrywide shutdown enforced by BNP-led 18-party alliance. Photo: STAR
The second consecutive daylong general strike passed off with stray incidents of violence in districts across the country yesterday. The BNP-led 18-party alliance enforced a two-day dawn-to-dusk countrywide hartal for the government's “failure to return” missing BNP leader M Ilias Ali. At least 60 pickets were arrested while 40 others injured in police action in several districts during yesterday's hartal, report our correspondents. Barisal: Police charged batons on a procession led by BNP city unit president and lawmaker advocate Mujibur Rahman Sarwar on Sadar Road. At least eight BNP men, including city unit convener Parul Begum and joint convener Jannatul Ferdousi, were picked up from there. Pro-hartal activists also blasted cocktails in different areas of the city during hartal hours. They also put up barricades on roads and highways at different places of the district in the morning. Later, law enforcers removed the barricades. Sirajganj: Fifteen pro-hartal activists were injured as police charged batons on two processions in front of the district BNP office in the morning. Police arrested a JCD activist named Rubel Ahmed from there. Three people were injured during a clash between pro-and anti-hartal activists in Raiganj upazila. Of them, critically injured Eskan Ali was admitted to Sirajganj General Hospital. Rangpur: Four people, including local Jubo Dal leader Asaduzzaman Asad, were arrested on Sunday night. Altaf Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, they were arrested on charge of blasting cocktails in Grand Hotel area in the town. Police foiled a pro-hartal procession in front of the district BNP office at around 12:30pm. All motorised vehicles stayed off the roads during hartal hours. Attendance in banks and government and private offices was thin. Noakhali: At least 20 people were injured in a clash between two factions of BNP in the district town during hartal hours yesterday. Boishakhi TV reporter Jamal Hossain, Desh TV reporter Akbar Hossain Sohag and constable Morshed are among the injured. The activists of both factions also vandalised Noakhali Press Club, Bar Library, 10 lawyers' chambers, District Muktijoddha Command Council office, two banks, a shopping mall, two restaurants, a medicine shop, a truck and two motorbikes during the clash. Later, lawyers and local businessmen held a protest rally and took out a procession in town. Natore: Pro-hartal activists torched a goods-laden truck and vandalised two others and a CNG-run pickup-van in Baraigram upazila. They also put up barricades and burned tyres on roads and highways in the morning. Police said at least 10 BNP activists were arrested from different upazilas of the district yesterday. Chittagong: Hartal passed off peacefully in the port city yesterday. Arefin Jewel, assistant commissioner (Double Mooring) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, said a picket was arrested at Chatteshwari intersection during hartal hours. Activities at Chittagong Port were normal, but delivery of goods from the port was hampered due to hartal. BNP city unit held a rally in front of its office in Kazir Dewri area. City BNP President Ameer Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, former state-minister Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin and BNP city unit General Secretary Dr Sahadat Hossain addressed the rally. Rangamati: Hartal was by and large peaceful in the town. Pro-hartal supporters brought out processions at Naniachar, Longudu, Kawkhali and Baghaichhari upazila headquarters during hartal. Khulna: At least 10 people were injured in clashes between pickets and cops on TB boundary road, Haji Mohsin road and in Daulatpur area in the town, reports UNB. Police picked up 14 BNP leaders and activists, including district unit Joint Secretary Abu Hossain Babu, from Kotwali and Sonadanga areas. Pro-hartal activists blasted over 10 cocktails at Haji Mohsin Road, TB boundary road and in Daulatpur area in the morning. Besides, police recovered two petrol bombs from Haji Mohsin road in at around 9:00am. All modes of vehicles but rickshaws were off the roads. All educational institutions and markets remained closed. On Sunday night, police arrested five BNP men from Khalishpur Meanwhile, Leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Rajshahi University (RU) unit yesterday brought out an anti-hartal procession on the campus. BCL RU unit president Ahmed Ali and general secretary Abu Hossain Bipu led the procession.
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