Relaxed hartal in port city
Police yesterday detained 25 pickets during a six-hour hartal enforced in Chittagong city by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in protest of sending of a party lawmaker to jail.
Otherwise, the strike ended peacefully with a considerable number of buses, CNG-run auto-rickshaws, private cars and other vehicles moving on the city roads and thoroughfares during hartal hours.
Commuters alleged that they had to pay extra while travelling in public transports during the time.
However, most of the business establishments and shopping centres on the main streets remained closed until midday.
Of the detained, 10 people were picked up from Chandgaon, nine from Panchlaish and six from Kotwali areas.
Mahmud Ullah, press and publication secretary of Chittagong city unit of Jamaat, said of the arrestees, 15 were activists of Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir.
Sheikh Shariful Islam, assistant commissioner of Panchlaish zone of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, said one Mainul was arrested with a petrol bomb in front of N Mohammad Plastic Industries in Mohammadpur area around 7:00am. Eight others were picked up from different places under Panchlaish Police Station during hartal hours.
He said Chandgaon police picked up 10 pro-hartal activists from different areas under their jurisdiction.
Two students of Chittagong College were held for blocking road in front of the college, said Mohiuddin Selim, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station.
Sadip Kumar Das, inspector of the police station, said they had arrested four others from DC Hill premises on information that Jamaat activists had brought out a short procession in Nandan Kanan area around 11:00am and vandalised a CNG-run auto-rickshaw.
The hartal was enforced in protest of a Chittagong court order that sent Jamaat lawmaker ANM Shamsul Islam to jail on Tuesday in an arson case instead of granting him bail.
The case was filed under the speedy trial act for torching vehicles at Wasa intersection of the port city on May 13 during a series of clashes between law enforcers and BNP-Jamaat activists and supporters.
At least 100 people were injured, three cars were set ablaze and around 50 vehicles were vandalised during the two-hour clashes.
A total of six cases were lodged against more than 2,000 leaders and activists of BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance in connection with the violence.
In the arson case, Kotwali police submitted charge sheet to the Metropolitan magistrate's court on May 23 accusing 23 people including the Jamaat lawmaker.
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