The first day of the two-day countrywide dawn-to-dusk shutdown enforced by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami went relatively calm yesterday, with some stray incidents of vandalising, torching and picketing.
Jamaat called the hartal in protest of the death sentence given to one of its top leaders ATM Azharul Islam for war crimes.
Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed in the capital as well as different parts of the country on Tuesday evening, who patrolled different strategic points along with other law enforcement agencies to prevent or contain untoward incidents.
In Jatrabari area, miscreants torched a covered van around 6am. On information, two units of fire fighters rushed to the spot and doused the fire. Fire service officer Farhad Uddin said the van was owned by a cement and fertiliser company.
The miscreants fled the scene immediately after setting the van on fire. No injuries were reported in connection with the incident. Jatrabari police station OC Oboni Sankar Kar said no one was arrested in this regard.
Besides, three or four crude bombs went off at Rayerbagh area in Jatrabari.
In Sheorapara area, pickets blasted 20-25 crude bombs around 11:45am. Sub Inspector Moin of Kafrul police station said they had been trying to arrest the pickets. In addition, crude bombs were blasted in Pallabi and Gendaria areas. Hartal-related violence outside the capital was reported as well.
In Barisal, activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student front of Jamaat, assaulted a Special Branch constable when he tried to disperse pro-hartal picketing at Band Road BIP Gate area in the city early yesterday morning.
Joynul Abedin, the constable, said he was attacked when he tried to chase and disperse a group of Shibir pickets trying to block the road by burning tyres. The attackers later fled the scene, leaving a motorcycle behind.
Barisal Metropolitan Police authorities filed a case in this regard yesterday afternoon. Golam Rouf Khan, deputy commissioner (south) at the BMP, said Joynul filed the case as complainant with Kotwali police station.
Although the case has eight to ten unidentified accused, police later found that the motorcycle is owned by a Muhammadullah, said Kotwali OC Shakhawat Hossain.
In another event, pro-hartal activists brought out processions – for photo documentation – at Kawnia, C and B Road, Sagardi and Kashipur areas in Barisal city early morning.
They tried to block the roads by felling trees, but left the spot as soon as law enforcers rushed there. The Kotwali police OC said the law enforcing agencies kept patrolling the city roads to keep the situation under control.
Also, a school girl was injured yesterday afternoon after getting hit by pro-hartal pickets on the Barisal-Dhaka highway in Kashipur. The victim, Mousumi Akhter, 17, is an SSC examinee from Jagua School in the city.
In Sylhet, police detained five pickets from Balauara area on the outskirts of Sylhet city yesterday morning.
Akhter Hossain, OC at Jalalabad police station, said police rushed to Balauara after receiving information about picketing on the Sylhet-Sunamganj road and detained the five pickets.
In Chapainawabganj, Jamaat-Shibir activists brought out a procession at Boro Indira Square in the town and ended at Shanti Square, touching the Nimtola and Baten Kha Square areas on the way. The local Awami League Activists also brought out an anti-hartal procession around 11am.
In Gazipur, pro-hartal activists torched two passenger buses at Bhogra bypass and Chandona intersection areas in Gazipur. No injuries were reported.
Mobarak Hossain, sub-inspector at Bhogra police camp under Joydebpur police station, said the miscreants torched the VIP-27 bus at Bhogra bypass area. Later, a unit of Gazipur fire service doused the fire.
In Jessore, no major incidents were reported. The local Awami League, Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jubo League activists brought out anti-hartal processions in different areas.
In Noakhali, police detained 44 Jamaat and BNP activists in six upazilas of the district, starting from Tuesday night until this report was filed.
In a separate drive, Begumganj police arrested two persons with one light gun, a round of bullet and two knives from their possession.
Pickets also vandalised a a pick-up van around 6:30am, injuring its driver Md Sohag, 35, in his head. Sohag was later taken to Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College Hospital in Noakhali for treatment.
In Gaibandha, the Rapid Action Battallion 13 recovered 25 crude bombs hidden inside two abandoned school bags at Boalia area in Gobindaganj municipality under Gaibandha district.
Ashraf Ali, in-charge of RAB 13 Gaibandha camp, said the hartal activists had carried those bags in order to create violence.
Kamal Hossain, sub-inspector at Gobindaganj police station, said the RAB officials had filed a general diary with the police station in this regard.
