3 bullet-hit in Narayanganj during nationwide hartal

 

Usually busy the road at Bangla Motor in the capital almost empty during a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal enforced by Jamaat-e-Islami on Wednesday. Photo: SK Enamul Haq

At least 13 people were injured including three by bullets in a clash between Jamaat-Shibir men and police in Narayanganj as Jamaat is observing a nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.

Pro-hartal activists torched two vehicles, vandalised 15 others and blasted 11 cocktails while police fired over 80 teargas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the pickets across the country.
Over 35 people including eight policemen were injured during the violence reported from the capital, Narayanganj, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Chittagong, Khulna, Natore, Bogra, Sirajganj and Kushtia.
DHAKA
Badrul Hasan, 30, an assistant sub-inspector of Shahbagh Police Station, was injured during a chase and counter-chase with stick-wielding pro-hartal activists at Paribagh in the capital around 9:30am.
The injured ASI received first aid at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said Sirajul Islam, officer-in-charge of the police station.
Pickets blasted six cocktails during the incident in the area. Police later detained two activists from the scene.
Law enforcers picked up two pro-hartal activists from Mirpur Shewrapara and two others from Rayerbagh on Dhaka-Chittagong highway as they were trying to set fire to vehicles in the morning.
Four people were also detained during a chase and counter-chase between law enforcers and pickets in the city's Dhanmondi area around 9:00am.
NARAYANGANJ
The clash ensued when police obstructed a procession of Jamaat-Shibir man at Chashara in Narayanganj city around 6:45am.
Police said activists of Shibir, a pro-Jamaat organisation, brought out a procession with sticks and iron rods from Golachipa Netaiganj.
When the law enforcers obstructed the procession, the activists hurled brick chips targeting police personnel that resulted in the clash.
Police charged batons and fired teargas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the processionists, leaving three Shibir men bullet wounded.
Two of them were identified as Parvez and Mamun.
At least 10 other people including the officer-in-charge and two policemen of Narayanganj Sadar Model Police Station were also injured during the clash.
The unidentified bullet-hit Shibir man was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Police picked up six people including the three injured Shibir activists in connection with the violence.
Manjur Kader, OC of the police station, said they fired 30 to 35 rubber bullets and teargas shells during the clash.
Jamaat-Shibir men also set fire to a minibus and a truck in Siddhirganj pool area.
They attacked policemen and vandalised a restaurant and a photo studio when the law enforcers took shelter there to avert the attack.
Police picked up two people from the spot.
SYLHET
The activists of Jamaat and Shibir vandalised at least 10 vehicles including auto-rickshaws and human haulers (Leguna) between 7:00am to 8:30am at Subidbazar, Pathantola, Bagbari, Mirermaidan and Shibganj in the city, witnesses said.
RAJSHAHI
A clash took place between police and Jamaat-Shibir men when the activists blocked Chapainawabganj-Natore bypass at Narikelbaria in the city and vandalised a truck and a human hauler (nosimon) around 8:00am.
At Daspukur, police fired several teargas canisters and gunshots when pickets threw brick chips on them in the morning.
Police detained nine people from the spot, said SM Moniruzzaman, commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police.
CHITTAGONG
Panchlaish police recovered two petrol bombs and two tyre tubes from a road beside the LGED bhaban in the city.
Meanwhile, three platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed along with police in the port city since morning to maintain law and order.
“The BGB members will patrol the city and assist police, if necessary,” reports our Chittagong correspondent quoting BGB general staff officer Maj Md Arif.
The government has decided to deploy BGB members in the district where four people were killed during Tuesday's hartal.
KHULNA
At least 12 people including an assistant superintendent of police and a constable were injured in a clash between Jamaat-Shibir men and police in Batiaghata upazila around 8:00am.
The clash ensued when over 200 Shibir men attacked police and vandalised a police van on Khulna-Mongla bypass road at Khejurtala, injured ASP Mamunur Rashid told The Daily Star.
Police charged batons and fired 32 rounds rubber bullets to disperse Shibir men, the ASP said.
Meanwhile, pickets vandalised two auto-rickshaws at Phultala upazila and on BIDC Road in the city around 7:30am.
NATORE
Police picked up a Jamaat activist when he was picketing in Boraigram area of the town, said Apel Mahmud, additional superintendent of police.
BOGRA
Pockets exploded at least five cocktails at Kanojgari in the town around noon.
Police also fired at least five rubber bullets in Chenopara and Colony area of the town to disperse pickets, said Syed Shahid Alam, OC of of Bogra Sadar Police Station.
SIRAJGANJ
At least 10 people including two cops -- Tazul Huda and Ali Farid Ahmed, OCs of Solonga Police Station and Sirajganj Highway Police -- were injured as Jamaat-Shibir men clashed with them at Hatikumrul in Raiganj upazila in the morning, said Humayun Kabir, superintendent of police of Sirajganj.
Police fired 10 rounds of bullets during the clash, leaving two Shibir men bullet wounded, the SP said adding that they were rushed to Sirajganj General Hospital under police custody.
Six more jamaat men were picked up from the spot.
KUSHTIA
At least 11 Shibir men were sent to jail for picketing in Kushtia and Meherpur districts Wednesday.
BACKGROUND
As the International Crimes Tribunal-2 sentenced Jamaat leader Quader Mollah to life imprisonment on Tuesday, Jamaat called hartal on Wednesday demanding cancellation of the ICT and release of its top leaders detained on war crimes charges.
The government Tuesday night deployed BGB personnel in different strategic points of the capital to avert any subversive activities over the verdict.
Jamaat-e-Islami enforced a daylong hartal on Tuesday protesting the war crimes trial of Mollah. At least three people were killed and around 100 injured across the country during the hartal.