Blockades mark hartal in Feni

This Star photo taken May 20 shows a car of Phulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haque burning after an arson attack in Feni. The easy bike used by the attackers is also in flames.

The activists of Awami League and its associate bodies blockaded different roads this morning as they are observing a dawn-to-dusk hartal (shutdown) in Phulgazi upazila of Feni protesting the killing of upazila chairman Ekramul Haque.

Ekramul, also the president of the upazila AL, was shot and burnt alive inside his car by the miscreants on Tuesday.

AL activists and supporters put barricades at Bandua Daulatpur and new and old Munshighat by felling and burning tree logs to disconnect Feni from Parshuram since the hartal began at 6:00am. 

They also brought out processions in the key areas of the Phulgazi, reports our Feni correspondent.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel have been deployed in the upazila headquarter to maintain law and order.

No vehicles were seen plying the roads since morning.

Abdul Alim, secretary general of Phulgazi upazila AL unit, said they will continue their demonstration until Ekramul’s killers are not arrested.

Meanwhile, two out of 23 people, who were detained Tuesday night, have been shown arrested in the murder case filed by Ekramul’s younger brother Rezaul Haq early yesterday, said Abdul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Feni Model Police Station.

Local BNP leader Mahtab Uddin Chowdhury was named as the prime suspect in the case.

Police released the rest 21 people after interrogation.