The half day hartal, jointly called by Islami Chhatra Sena and Bangladesh Islami Front protesting the killing of their Ahle Sunnat leader Shaikh Nurul Islam Faruqi has passed off peacefully across the country.
The hartal began at 6am and continued till 2pm.
Vehicular movement was normal in the capital city. No unpleasant incident has been reported till updating of this story at 2pm.
Meanwhile, Islami Chhatra Sena Central President Nurul Islam Chishti has claimed in a press conference that police and Jamaat-Shibir supporters attacked the activists of Chhatra Sena while observing the hartal.
He said: “More than 50 activists were injured in the attack. Police also arrested around 100 activists of Islami Chhatra Sena.”
Nurul Islam Chishti threatened that they would go for tougher movement if the real culprits are not arrested.
He urged the government not to create any drama over arresting the real criminals.
During the hartal hours, Chhatra Sena activists brought out a pro-hartal procession in Baitul Mukarram National Mosque area around 8am. Police obstructed the procession and dispersed the hartal supporters.
The pro-hartal activists also brought out processions in the capital's Adabor, Shamoli, East Rajabazar and Motijheel areas in the morning.
In Chittagong, Chhatra Sena supporters took position in different points including Dewanhat, Tigerpass, Lalkhan Bazar and Wasa since morning. They also blocked Sheikh Mujib road, which connects a number of roads in the port city.
A few vehicles were seen plying on city roads causing sufferings to the office-goers.
The half-day hartal was announced as the government has failed to arrest the killers of Faruqi by the deadline they set, Islami Chhatra Sena General Secretary Jamaluddun Rabbani and Bangladesh Islami Front Secretary General Maulana MA Matin said in separate statements.
They called half-day shutdown instead of day-long considering Hajj pilgrims and flood situation across the country.
However, the flood-hit areas remained out of the hartal purview.
On August 27, unidentified armed assailants slaughtered Faruqi, a presenter of religious programmes on Channel i, at his residence in the capital’s east Rajabazar area.
The deceased was the presidium member and international affairs secretary of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat – an organisation known for opposing the views of Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam.
Apart from anchoring the “Shantir Pothe” and “Kafela” programmes on Channel i, he owned Faruqi Tours and Travels Private Limited, a Hajj travel agency, and served as the imam of the Supreme Court Mosque.
