A five-day hartal (shutdown) called by the Jamaat-e-Islami in three phases ends this morning with the observance of the last phase of 48 hour hartal.
The Islamist party observed the hartals in five working days from October 30 in protest against the International Crimes Tribunal’s awarding of death sentence to party ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami and policymaker Mir Quasem Ali, and also against the Supreme Court’s upholding of ICT’s death penalty given to Muhammad Kamaruzzaman.The hartals called in three phases were observed loosely as the Jamaat-Shibir activists were missing from the streets but they led to shifting of the JSC and JDC examinations having 21 lakh candidates.
Most of the educational institutions, both public and private, offices and shopping malls remained open. Movement of public transports except private cars was also normal during the five-day hartals that was marked by some stray incidents of clashe and damage of some vehicles.
However the movement of long-distance buses and heavy vehicles from some districts remained halted. And supply of goods especially vegetables to the capital were hampered due to hartals.
A press release issued by Dhaka city unit of Jamaat said that the Jamaat Shibir activists brought out processions and held meetings at different places in the city including Dhanmondi, Jartabari, Kotwali, Mirpur, Lalbagh, Darusalam, Uttara, Pallabi, Bongsal, Khilgaon, Bhasantek, Paltan, Motijheel, Ramna, Kadamtoli, Kamrangirchar, Demra, Shampur and Gandaria.
It also said that five Jamaat-Shibir activists were injured during a clash with the police when they tried to bring out procession from Shankar area of West Dhanmondi. They also alleged police opened fire on them to disperse the procession.
When contacted Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur and Kamrangirchar thana police denied any such incident. The pickets of Jamaat-Shibir set fire on a leguna at Shamoly in the evening.
Jamaat sources said, the party may enforce more hartals and take agitation programme immediately after the execution of party leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman for war crimes charges. – Staff Reporter
