Jamaat-e-Islami has called a two-day countrywide shutdown for today and tomorrow, protesting the death penalty to its leader ATM Azharul Islam for war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War.
Jamaat’s acting ameer Moqbul Ahmad called the hartal yesterday afternoon in a statement issued immediately after the verdict. Jamaat will observe the strike from 6am to 5:30pm today and tomorrow respectively.
The ICT 1 handed down capital punishment to Rangpur al-Badr commander ATM Azharul Islam in charges including mass killing, murder and genocide during the Liberation War.
“Azharul is a victim of the government’s conspiracy to kill Jamaat leaders while it is using its supporters to give false deposition against our leader in the court,” claimed the acting ameer. He hoped of getting acquittal.
On the other hand, hartal supporters torched a private car at Dainik Bangla intersection in the capital around 6:50pm.
Meanwhile, for the sake of the country’s economy, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry yesterday called upon the Jamaat-e-Islami to withdraw its hartals.
The apex trade body expressed concerns over the hartal and vowed to resist any anarchy through united efforts from the business community.
