Jamaat`s hartal progressing

The first hours of the nationwide daylong hartal, called by Jamaat-e-Islami, were marked by stray incidents on Tuesday.

Educational institutions were closed, but government and non-government offices remained open though the attendance was thin. Rickshaws and auto-rickshaws were seen dominating the city streets as the presence of motorised vehicles was much less than on other days. However, train communications remained normal.  

No long-route buses left the capital’s Mohakhali, Sayedabad and Gabtoli terminals for their destinations.

Huge law enforcers were seen guarding the city streets to maintain the law and order.

In the capital, activists of pro-Jamaat Islami Chhatra Shibir brought out small processions in different parts of the city in the morning.   

Pro-hartal pickets exploded two crude bombs in Badda and Azimpur areas and vandalised 5-6 vehicles in Azimpur area.   

An anti-hartal procession was brought out by Sammilita Awami Samarthak Jote from the Bangabandhu Avenue at 9:15 am.

Police picked up three pro-hartal pickets from Rokeya Sarani and Uttara areas.  

In Natore, Shibir workers blocked the Natore-Dhaka highway at Chakrampur in Sadar upazila in the morning. Pickets also blocked roads at different parts of the district.         

The Jamaat-e-Islami called the shutdown, which began at 6am Tuesday, protesting the arrest of its leader AKM Yusuf on charges of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

Jamaat nayeb-e-ameer AKM Yusuf was arrested from his Dhanmondi residence at 12:45 pm on Sunday, after the International Crimes Tribunal-1 issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of war crimes. Hours after his arrest, the tribunal sent Yusuf, founder of notorious Razakar outfit, to Dhaka Central Jail.

The day’s hartal follows another nationwide shutdown enforced by Jamaat-e-Islami on Sunday protesting the verdict of the International Crimes Tribunal-2 that handed down death sentence to its leader M Kamaruzzaman.