No academic activities were held at Dhaka University (DU) and other public universities and colleges.

However, classes continued at most of the primary and high schools in the city.

The BCL called the strike to protest the killing of one of its leader as well as to protest police atrocities on BCL leaders and activists on April 19 during the opposition's sit-in programme at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Abdur Rahim Akash, assistant secretary of Shaheed Suhrawardy College unit BCL died on April 18, after ruling BNP's student front Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) men beat up and wounded him on April 12, Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton, general secretary of the BCL said at a press conference on April 19.

A teacher of the college directed the JCD cadres to beat up Akash as he protested the teacher's claim that late president Ziaur Rahman declared the independence of Bangladesh on March 26 in 1971, Roton alleged.

BCL brought out a procession on the campus chanting slogans in support of the strike yesterday morning.

Later they held a rally in front of the Arts Building, where Roton spoke and demanded immediate arrest and punishment to the teacher and JCD cadres responsible for killing Akash.