The nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal, called by BNP-led 18-part alliance demanding the unconditional release of its leaders and activists and protesting the government’s decision of imposing a ban on meetings and rallies, is underway Sunday.
Hartal supporters brought out a procession in Babubazar area of the city at 7:30am.
The 18-party activists staged a pro-hartal procession in Mugda area of the capital in the morning. But police dispersed them.
Two cocktails were exploded in Sabujbagh area at 8am while five in Adabor area at 8:30am.
Jubo Dal activists staged a procession in Mohammadpur College Gate area at 6am. Supporters of Jubo Dal, front organisation of BNP, brought out a procession in Jatrabari area at 7am. Jamaat activists brought out a procession in Azimpur area of the capital at 5:30am.
The supporters of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal vandalised two auto-rickshaws in Airport area after a procession in the morning. The Jubo Dal activists torched a covered van in Rampura area at 8am.
Additional police have been deployed in the capital to avert any untoward incident during the hartal hours.
On Friday, BNP chairperson’s adviser Shamsuzzaman Dudu came up with the announcement of hartal at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan office.
Earlier on May 19, home minister MK Alamgir at a programme in Chittagong said the government would not allow any political parties to hold rallies or demonstrations for the next month to avoid further situations.
Meanwhile, party general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam on the same day spoke in favour of banning political activities, saying: “At this time of natural calamities, we should ensure that everything operates normally and the affected people can be properly helped. The ban is not only for the opposition, but also for us.”
Leaders close to Syed Ashraf told Dhaka Tribune that before making the remarks, he did not know about the home minister’s comment on the ban on political activities. Syed Ashraf, also the LGRD minister, made the comments responding to reporters’ questions and reaffirmed that his comment was not the government’s decision.
However later on the day, an additional secretary to the home ministry, Kamal Uddin Ahmed told reporters that his minister’s comment was a “political announcement.”
The ministry would not issue any order in this regard, he said.
On the other hand on March 11, police picked up 157 leaders and activists of BNP raiding the party’s Nayapaltan office. Later, police released three top leaders, including the party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and sent 153 leaders and activists to jail.
Of them, 151 were placed on remand in different terms.
