The first day of the two-day dawn-to-dusk hartal, called by opposition BNP-led 18-party alliance, was observed amid stray incidents of violence across the country Wednesday.Sufficient numbers of law enforcers were deployed at different points of the capital to avert untoward situation.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel were deployed in the city from around 8:00pm Tuesday to prevent subversive activities ahead of the two-day dawn-to-dusk hartal.
The BGB men have taken position at different sensitive points of the city including Baridhara Diplomatic area, Sangshad Bhaban, secretariat, Progati Sarani, Farmgate and Uttara.
Hartal supporters blasted few cocktails in capital’s Luxmibazar, Shyamoli and Mirpur. They also vandalised a bus in Jatrabari and a roadside shop in Old Dhaka and police fired three rubber bullets to disperse the picketers.
In Gazipur, picketers torched a bus during hartal hours. In Satkhira, hartal supporters vandalised seven vehicles and set fire on tires.
Later police dispersed them from there.
In Bogra, Chhatra Shibir activists hurled three cocktails aiming police when they were obstructed.
In Rajshahi, metropolitan BNP led-by joint secretary general Mizanur Rahman Minu brought out a pro-hartal procession from Kadirganj intersection. Being obstructed by police, they took position streets and held a short rally. Later, the hartal supported dispersed when police fired some round of blank shot.
Around 50 picketers were held from different parts of the country during hartal hours.
Besides, the daylong shutdown is progressing in Mymensingh, Sirajganj, Joypurhat, Pabna amid stray incidents of picketing. banglanews24.com
