Hartal affects education, transport
Education, businesses, transport and public life brace for more disruptions as yet another countrywide hartal, this time from dawn to dusk, starts with the Jamaat-e-Islami's 24-hour shutdown drawing to a close this morning.
The BNP-led 20-party alliance on Saturday called the 12-hour hartal from this morning to protest the constitutional amendment that empowered parliament to impeach Supreme Court judges for misbehaviour and incapacity.
The Jamaat, a key component of the BNP-led combine, observed hartals on Thursday and yesterday, protesting the SC judgment that sentenced its leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee to imprisonment until death for crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
The consecutive hartals will deal a blow to people, who travel long distances for businesses, ahead of the Durga Puja and the Eid-ul-Azha, as inter-district buses didn't operate yesterday, and are likely to remain off roads during today's shutdown as well.
In the capital, businesses and transport were partially affected yesterday.
However, most of the offices and organisations in the city and elsewhere functioned normally. Operations of Chittagong and Mongla seaports and the land ports also continued without any hindrance.
Many parents and guardians didn't send their children to schools fearing street violence.
Meanwhile, a pedestrian was hurt last night as a crude bomb went off on Nurjahan Road in the capital around 8:00pm.
Jamaat-Shibir men exploded several crude bombs from a procession near Bijoy Nagar intersection around 6:45pm. There was no report of casualty in the incident.
Police detained more than 50 activists of the Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir across the country on various charges, report our correspondents.
At least 27 Jamaat-Shibir men were held in Satkhira, 15 in Jhenidah, five in Bagerhat and three in Bogra, as they attacked law enforcers from processions.
Four others were detained in the capital on suspicion of plotting to carry out destructive activities, said police sources.
Like in most other parts of the country, the presence of Jamaat-Shibir men was very thin on roads in Pirojpur, birthplace of Jamaat leader Sayedee.
4 CHILDREN HURT
Four children were injured, as an abandoned crude bomb exploded at Panchabati village in Kishoreganj.
The victims are Ridoy Mia, 9, Marufa Begum, 7, Surma Begum, 7 and Aros Mia, 2.
While playing in a field in the afternoon, a group of children found in a ditch a ball-like object wrapped in red tape, said Badrul Alam Talukder, officer-in-charge of Bhairab Police Station.
When picked up, the object exploded causing severe injuries to Ridoy's hands. He and his three friends were hit by splinters in their faces and limbs, the OC added.
They were taken to Bhairab Upazila Health Complex. After primary treatment, doctors referred them to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Meanwhile, two groups of Tejgaon unit activists of Jubo League, a pro-Awami League youth body, clashed in the capital's Farmgate area after bringing out an anti-hartal procession. One was injured in the incident.
They clashed over which group would lead the procession, said Mazharul Islam, officer-in-charge of Tejgaon Police station.
Jubo league men vandalised several vehicles after the clash, witnesses said.
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