Hartal today, tomorrow
There will be no respite for people after Jamaat's 24-hour hartal ends tomorrow morning, as the BNP-led alliance has called a daylong nationwide shutdown starting the same morning.
Acting BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday announced the programme in protest at the amendment to the constitution that empowered parliament to remove Supreme Court judges for misbehaviour and incapacity.
The announcement came at a press conference at the BNP chief's Gulshan office hours after leaders of all components of the BNP-led 20-party alliance held an emergency meeting at the party's Naya Paltan office.
With the latest programme, the country will be in the grip of 36-hour shutdown, as Jamaat's 24-hour hartal starts from 6:00am today.
On Wednesday, Jamaat-e-Islami, a key component of the BNP-led alliance, called 48-hour hartals for Thursday and Sunday, protesting the Supreme Court verdict that sentenced its leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee imprisonment until death for committing crimes against humanity in 1971.
This means three working days will be lost to hartals, causing sufferings to people and huge losses to the economy.
Monday's hartal will be the first by the BNP-led alliance since the Awami League-led government returned to power through the January 5 national elections.
Meanwhile, at least 12 people, including four policemen, were injured, as activists of Jamaat and its student body Islami Chhatra Shibir exploded crude bombs at Mirpur-10 in the capital and Sonadighir Mor in Rajshahi city.
Jamaat-Shibir men threw bombs at law enforcers from a procession at Benarashi Palli in Mirpur around 9:00am, leaving two policemen injured, said Syed Ziauzzaman, officer-in-charge of Pallabi Police Station.
Police later arrested Shibir activist Sanaullah, a student of Homeopathic Medical College in Mirpur, and recovered three crude bombs from the spot, he added.
In Rajshahi city, at least 10 people, including two police constables, were injured, as Jamaat-Shibir men clashed with police.
Witnesses said Jamaat-Shibir activists brought out a procession from Sonadigihir Mor around 8:00am. They hurled a crude bomb at a police vehicle, prompting the law enforcers to swing into action.
SM Sobhan, officer-in-charge of Boalia Police Station, said the attackers exploded at least 10 crude bombs during the clash while police fired around 100 bullets and tear gas shells to disperse them.
Five Jamaat-Shibir men were arrested from the spot, he said.
Jamaat claimed five of its Rajshahi city leaders were badly injured in police action.
Jamaat and Shibir held protest programmes across the country yesterday demanding Sayedee's release.
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