Dhaka – A half-day hartal in the capital enforced by the left leaning political parties protesting the government’s announcement to hike of gas price ended yesterday amid stray incidence of violence.
The law enforcers detained at least nine pickets during the hartal hour and charged batons, used tear shell gas and water cannon to disperse the hartal supporters.The hartal was imposed when the Secondary School Certificate examinations were going on.
The political parties also threatened the government to besiege the power ministry protesting the latest gas tariff hike.
“If the tariff hike is not revoked, we will besiege the ministry on March 15,” Ruhin Hossain Prince, central leader of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), said.
The fresh announcement came at the Press Club from the leaders of the CPB, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) and Gonotantrik Bam Morcha after ending the hartal from 6:00am to 12:00 pm.
“We will protest for a fortnight from March 1 to March 14,” said Zonayed Saki, coordinator of Gonosamhati Andolan, at a programme in Jatiya Press Club. “Then we will besiege the ministry,” he added.
As per the government announcement the gas tariff will be increased in two phases this year. From March 1, households using double burners will have to pay Tk 800 from the next month, up from Tk 650, and single Tk 750 against Tk 600. The prices would be hiked again on June 1 by another Tk 150 for each gas stove.
The hartal supporters gathered at Shahbagh at around 7am to protest the government’s move. But chase and counter chase ensued around 11:00am when police lobbed a number of tear gas canisters to disperse the pickets. The pickets retaliated with brick chips.
The hartal activists burned tyres at Shahbagh intersection and halted vehicular movement for some time.
“Police pounced on us without any warning or reason. They detained nine of our activists,” Liton Nandi, vice-president of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, said.
BSD in a press release yesterday condemned the detention nine people including six leaders and workers of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front during the hartal. They also condemned the police attack on the hartal supporters. – Staff Reporter
