Rajshahi, Sylhet hartal ends with stray incidents

 

Activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, pro-Jamaat student body, clash with police and set fire to tyres at Binodpur in Rajshahi city during the Jamaat-sponsored eight-hour hartal on Wednesday.

The eight-hour hartal in Rajshahi and Sylhet divisions ended with stray incidents of violence on Wednesday.
The violence includes clashes between law enforcers and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir men, vandalism, and cocktail and cracker explosions.
Local units of Rajshahi and Sylhet Jamaat called the hartal protesting arrests of their leaders-- Shafiqur Rahman and Tasneem Alam-- and demanding their release.
RAJSHAHI
Jamaat and Shibir men locked in clashes with law enforcers at Binodpur, Kazla and Octroy intersection in the city in the early hours, our Rajshahi correspondent reports.
The Jamaat-Shibir men exploded 10 cocktails at a patrol van of Detective Branch of police in Kazla area of the city, said Alamgir Hossain, officer-in-charge of DB in Rajshahi Metropolitan Police.
None was injured in the incident as the law enforcers managed to take shelter before the explosion.
Police had to fire several rounds of teargas canisters and rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrators.
At all points, the clashes ensued when the Jamaat-Shibir men took to the streets and roads setting fire to tyres, said Abdus Sobhan, OC (investigation) of Matihar Police Station.
During the clashes the Jamaat-Shibir activists also hurled brick chips on the law enforcers, said Sanaul Haque, OC of the same police station.
Police also dispersed several processions of pro-hartal activists at Sapura, Shalbagan and Dingadoga areas of the city.
Huge contingent of law enforcers were deployed at all the city points to maintain law and order.
No long-distance bus left or entered the city during the hartal.
All the educational institutions, shopping malls and most of the roadside shops remained closed.
SYLHET
Jamaat-Shibir activists vandalised a truck and blasted at least four crackers at Farhadpur on Sylhet-Tamabil highway around 7:00am, reports our Sylhet correspondent.
The pro-hartal activists also exploded three more crackers in front of MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital to create panic among locals.
They set fire to tyres and brought out processions in the hospital area, Lamabazar and Akhalia points in the city.
Police detained one Shibir activist from south Surma area when a group of Shibir men tried to bring out a procession, said Rezaul Karim, deputy commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police.
Rapid Action Battalion and police did not allow anyone to gather at Court Point, Chowhatta and in front of Surma Market to maintain law and order in the city.
Rickshaws were seen dominating the city streets.
Like other hartal days, no long-distance bus left or entered the city since morning.
Meanwhile, all educational institutions, shopping malls were also kept closed.
BACKGROUND
Jamaat called the shutdown in Rajshahi protesting the arrest of Tasneem Alam, central publicity secretary of the party.
Tasneem was arrested at his Uttara residence in the capital on December 17 for possessing anti-government leaflets and booklets.
Jamaat announced the shutdown in Sylhet demanding release of its acting secretary general Shafiqur Rahman.
Shafiqur was arrested on December 13 at his Dhanmondi residence in the capital in a case filed under the anti-terrorism act. The following day, a Dhaka court placed him on a four-day remand.