Opposition BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami have separately enforced 72-hour nationwide hartal from today protesting the countrywide “mass-killing” and Sayedee verdict.The activists of BNP activists held a rally in front of their central office at Naya Paltan and brought out a procession which paraded Shantinagar, Mouchak and Malibagh Baily Road, Kakrail and Dhanmondi areas on Saturday afternoon ahead of hartal.
They vandalised some vehicles, torched three private cars and blasted few cocktails during the period.
Abandoning private cars, motorcycles and rickshaws on the roads, panicked people ran away to Rajarbagh Police Lines for safety.
Unidentified activists blasted three cocktails in front of BNP’s central office in city’s Nayapaltan on Saturday evening.
Police detained seven people from the spot. The explosions triggered panic in the area and police opened fire to bring the situation under control. BNP leaders said at least 150 of their workers were injured in the firing.
The government deployed Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel in the capital to maintain law-and-order during hartal called by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
Opposition BNP called nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal for Tuesday alleging that the government is committing countywide genocide.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia made announcement of enforcing hartal at a press conference on her party’s position regarding country’s present political situation at her Gulshan party office Friday.
Jamaat called 48-hour non-stop hartal from Sunday protesting the ICT verdict that awarded death sentence to its top leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee for his involvement in crimes against humanity during the liberation war in 1971.
Acting Secretary General Rafiqul Islam Khan made the announcement on Thursday evening following countrywided clashes with police in which at least 50 people were killed. On the day, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 led by ATM Fazle Kabir awarded death penalty to Sayedee for his crime against humanity during the liberation war in 1971. banglanews24.com
