Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the associate body of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, is set to enforce a nationwide daylong hartal on Wednesday demanding the release of its central president and tracing of the missing leaders. ICS secretary general Abdul Jabbar announced the shutdown programme on Monday.
“Islami Chattra Shibir will observe hartal on Wednesday demanding the release of the arrested leaders. Even after that, if the government doesn’t release the arrested leaders and trace the leaders picked up by the law enforcers, we’ll be forced to announce harsher programmes than hartal,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, leaders and activists of Chattra Shibir brought out processions at different parts of the country, including the capital city, in support of the shutdown programme.
Over 40 people, including eight police men, were injured as the ICS men locked into clashes with police following obstruction to their processions by the law enforcers in different districts, including Chapainawabganj, Narayanganj, Bogra and Comilla.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir said the government will take stern actions against those who will disturb the law and order in the country by calling illegal shutdowns.
“Maximum actions will be taken against the hartal enforcers under the prevailing law of the land,” he said while talking to journalists after attending a Freshers’ Reception at Bangabandhu Degree College in Chandpur on Tuesday noon.
Besides, State Minister for Home advocate Shamsul Hoque Tuku said they directed the law enforcement agencies to deal with an iron hand any efforts to create anarchy during the shutdown.
Talking to UNB, the Tuku also said, “Police, BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh) and Rab will jointly work across the country to ensure the safety of public life and property during the hartal hours.”
DMP sources said some 8,000 additional police and Rab members will be put on high alert in the city to avert any unpleasant incident in the capital during the hartal hours.
Earlier on Friday, Shibir threatened to enforce a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal on Sunday on the same grounds.
They, however, withdrew its shutdown programme due to inclement weather in the country, examinations of the National University and other reasons.
– UNB
