Arson, vandalism, blasts mark Jamaat's hartal
The countrywide daylong hartal enforced by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday witnessed incidents of arson, vandalism and cocktail blasts in many districts.
Jamaat, however, enforced a six-hour hartal from 6:00am in the capital and Chittagong city and a dawn-to-dusk shutdown elsewhere in the country.
The incidents of arson, vandalism and blasts were reported from various districts, including Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Narayanganj, Sylhet, Dinajpur, Laxmipur, Natore, Bagerhat and Khulna.
Pro-hartal activists torched a covered van, vandalised over 25 vehicles and lasted several cocktails in different districts. Police detained 5 people on charge of picketing during the hartal, reports our correspondent.
Noakhali: Jamaat-Shibir activists torched two motorcycles and vandalised another at Koralia of Companyganj upazila of the district in the morning.They also vandalised a goods-laden truck in front of Pauara Bazar in the district at around 8:30am.
Laxmipur: Jamaat-Shibir activists vandalised two vehicles, including the car of a deputy general manager of Krishi Bank, in front of Alia Madarsa at Laxmipur Sadar upazila during hartal.
Police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the pickets while they were vandalising the vehicles at around 8:00am. Pickets blasted cocktails at deferent points of the district town during hartal hours
Rajshahi: Jamaat activists blocked Rajshahi-Dhaka highway by burning tyres at several points during hartal. They set fire to tyres at Kajla, Talaimari, Hadi intersection and at Keshabpur point of Dhaka-Rajshahi highway in the city.
Chapainawabganj: Shibir activists staged demonstrations and burned tyres on Chapainawabganj-Rajshahi highway and Chapainawabganj-Sonamasjid land port highway at Upar Rajarampur, Biswa road intersection, Swarupnagar and Shibtala in the town.
Picketers vandalised a truck at College intersection in Rohonpur municipality area under Gomostapur upazila at around 10:00am.
Narayanganj: Jamaat-Shibir activists brought out a procession in Siddhirganj area of the Narayanganj in the morning and torched a covered van. They also blasted a cocktail there.
Police fired several blank shots to disperse the pro-hartal activists. They also detained two Jamaat-Shibir men from the spot.
Sylhet: Jamaat-Shibir men vandalised four trucks and two microbuses at Shibganj and in front of Madina market in the city and Dakshin Surma upazila at around 7:30am.
Natore: Police detained a pro-hartal activist while he was picketing at Kadamchilani of Lalpur upazila. Jamaat-Shibir activists blocked Natore-Bogra highway by setting fire to tyres at Dighpatiya in the morning and also vandalised several vehicles.
Bagerhat: Shibir activists vandalised a pickup van carrying newspapers on Bagerhat-Khulna road near Megnitala area at around 8:00am. Following the incident, police raided the nearby areas and arrested two people on charge of attack on the vehicle.
The arrestees are Md Al-Amin, 15, a class eight student of Harikhali Purbapar Dakhil madrasa, and Munayemul Islam, 15, a class nine student of Bagerhat Government Boys' High School.
Khulna: Pickets vandalised at least 12 vehicles, including two buses, in Khalishpur and Doulatpur areas of the city. Police picked up some Jamaat-Shibir men while they were picketing at different points in the city, said Sukumar Biswas, officer-in-charge of Khalishpur Police Station.
At least 10 Shibir men were picked up as they tried to bring out processions from different parts of the city, Jamaat city Ameer Abul Kalam Azad claimed.
Joypurhat: Jamaat-Shibir men vandalised four human haulers in Puran Koil area in the town at around 11:00am. Police fired four teargas shells and two rubber bullets to disperse the pickets.
Narsingdi: Shibir activists torched an abandoned bus in front of a police box at Shibpur upazila at around 9:00am. Police detained a Shibir activist named Naim from there.
Rangpur: Jamaat-Shibir men blocked Rangpur-Dinajpur highway by setting fire to tyres at Uttam and Textile intersection area in the city and also vandalised a pick-up van.
Pro-hartal activists also blocked Rangpur-Dhaka highway by burning tyres and felling logs on the highway in Damdama area in the city. The also vandalised a pick-up van on the spot.
Police picked up two people from Lalbag area in the city on charge of picketing. Besides, law enforcers also picked up five pickets in Gopalganj, 11 in Kishoreganj and one in Moulvibazar.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments