Violences mark hartal

100 injured, over 100 vehicles vandalised, 169 arrested across country

Staff Reporter
At least 100 people, including policemen, were injured and over 100 vehicles vandalised during hartal hours yesterday while 169 Jamaat-Shibir leaders and workers were arrested following clashes with law enforcers in the city and elsewhere in the country.
Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir cadres resorted to hit-and-run tactics and stray incidents of clash, arson, vandalism, chase and counter-chase, detention of hoodlums and snatching of rifle from a cop marked major incident of the day during the hartal hours on Tuesday.
At some place ruling party activists also brought out procession in the city and district and chased the hartal activists. At some place hartal activists were beaten seriously and handed over to police.
Jamaat called the strike to stop the trial of its leaders who are facing trial on charges of war crimes during the country's 1971 Liberation War. Shibir activists locked into fierce clashes
with law enforcers and activists of Bangladesh Juba League and Chhatra League when police put barricade to them across the country.
In the capital and adjoining areas, the incidents took place at Khilkhet, Karwan Bazar, Khilgaon, Shewrapara, Mirpur, around Ruposhi Bangla Hotel and Jatrabari.
Deputy Commissioner Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP)'s told The New Nation yesterday that as many as 69 Jamaat activists were arrested only from Dhaka city and about 50 vehicles were vandalised by Jamaat-Shibirmen during the hartal hours.
So far, 100 pro-hartal activists were arrested from different parts of the country.
Jamaat-Shibirmen brought out a sudden procession at Khilkhet area and vandalised several vehicles including one of the US embassy.
The marauding Jamaat-Shibir activists also attempted to set a vehicles of the US embassy on fire as it was passing by the procession, said Abu Saleh, sub-inspector of Khilkhet Police Station. The activists fled away from the scene before the police could reach the spot, he added.
A passenger bus was set ablaze by Jammat-Shibir picketers in front of the Naval headquarters in the capital's Banani area on Tuesday.
Law enforcers also searched passenger buses in the city following the incident.
The police official requested vehicle owners and passengers to remain on guard.
Nearly eight to ten Jamaat-Shibirmen suddenly took to the street at Karwan Bazaar in the capital and set tyres on fire around 6:35am. They also vandalised two buses and a CNG-run three-wheeler there.
The pro-hartal activists also damaged several buses near Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in the early morning.
In Shewrapara, a chase and counter-chase took place between the Jamaat-Shibir activists and law enforcers around 6:15am.
The hartal activists also vandalised two vehicles there around 8:00am.
Police in association with local Awami League leaders and activists chased pickets as they damaged a vehicle at Mirpur-10 around noon, said Abdul Latif Sheikh, officer-in-charge of Pallabi Police Station.
Hartal activists also vandalised windshields of three buses at Khilgaon.
Meanwhile, police detained two persons from Shantinagar area, said Golam Sarwar, officer-in-charge of Paltan Police Station.
Abdul Latif, officer-in-charge of Kafrul Police Station, told The New Nation that the Jamaat-Shibir activists brought out several rallies through different alleys in the area.
The hartal activists also set several tyres on fire in the area at around 6:30am, he said.
But as police chased them, they fled away, the OC added.
Meanwhile, witnesses said the Jamaat-Shibirmen hurled brick chips on several vehicles which were plying on Mirpur Road during the early hartal hours.
Locals also heard the sound of cocktail blast in Kalyanpur area in the capital.
Locals caught six people when they were picketing at Sabujbagh area near Khilgaon Flyover in the afternoon and handed them over to police. The mob also beat up Mostafizur and Md Shohaid mercilessly.
The injured were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) around 1:30pm.
The hartal activists also vandalised a number of buses in Kalapatti and Kazla areas of Jatrabari around 6:15am and 10:30am. A bus conductor, Anwar Hossain, sustained injuries during the vandalism.
Four to five hartal activists suddenly appeared before Jatrabari crossing and vandalised a bus and a CNG-run three-wheeler there around 8:00am.
Hartal supporters also vandalised at least five vehicles and set several tyres on fire on Dhaka-Chittagong highway in the Jatrabari's Kutubkhali area around 7:00am and left the place immediately before police rushed there.
The city buses were however seen plying on the streets in thin numbers.
The presence of law enforcing agencies is also mentionable in this hartal.
In Brahmanbaria, Jamaat-Shibir activists set a police van on fire at Phulbaria in Town Bypass area at about 8:00am when police tried to resist them from picketing. Police picked up one from the spot. Two policemen were injured during the incident.
Huge contingent of law enforcers were seen patrolling the key points and intersections in the capital to maintain law and order situation.
The hartal activists also torched a police van in Brahmanbaria and set fire to a bus in Narayanganj. They also vandalised vehicles in Barisal, Gazipur, Chittagong, Sylhet, Feni, Dinajpur, Pabna, Chapainawabganj and Bagerhat. Besides, the incidents of clashes and chase and counter-chase were also reported from Sylhet, Narayanganj, Brahmanbaria, Pabna and Bogra.
The Jamaat-Shibirmen also tried to block highways in different districts including Rajshahi, Narayanganj, Pabna and Chapainawabganj.

21 May, 2013 Tuesday

Violences mark hartal

100 injured, over 100 vehicles vandalised, 169 arrested across country