The hartal, called by Sammilito Islami Dalsamuho, an alliance of Islamist parties, was observed yesterday with no untoward incidents reported from any place, including Dhaka and Chittagong.
Vehicles and people moved normally in the capital and Chittagong. Businesses functioned as usual.
Sammilito Islami Dalsamuho had called the hartal demanding capital penalty to former posts and telecommunications minister Latif Siddique who made controversial comments on hajj and tabligh in New York last month.
They took out processions in several areas, including Lalbagh, Kamragircar, Mirpur-1, 2, 11, Shyamoli, in the capital yesterday. In the afternoon, they held a press conference and claimed that law enforcers had arrested 300 of their activists from various places in the country.
They then also announced that they would stage demonstrations across the country on Friday to press home their same demand.
Sammilita Islami Dalsamuho Secretary General Muhammad Zafrullah Khan, who spoke at the press conference, demanded that all the arrested activists be released immediately.
Hefazat-e-Islam, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, Khilafat Majlish, Khilafat-e-Islam, Islami Oikya Jote, Nejam-e-Islam and Muslim League are among the parties of the Sammilita Islami Dalsamuho.
