People defy Jamaat hartal

Despite a daylong countrywide hartal enforced by Jamaat yesterday, people came out in streets and performed their daily jobs as usual.

Jamaat imposed a hartal in protest of the Supreme Court's verdict upholding the death penalty of its central leader Mir Quasem Ali on Tuesday for crimes committed in 1971. Immediately after the order, party's acting ameer, Moqbul Ahmad, in a press statement, announced a hartal programme. 

No picketing or flash procession were seen in most part of the country except for a few Jamaat-Shibir men taking to the streets, reported our correspondent. 

The movement of the vehicles was not like any other day but presence of people in work places, educational institutions was normal, reported our district correspondents.

Plying of inter-district-bus services was a bit thin due to the shortage of passengers. 

In the capital, commuters were seen waiting for buses to go to their offices and other destinations, defying this year's second hartal.

Earlier, Jamaat held a hartal on January 7 as SC upheld the death penalty of its Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami.    

Law enforcers remained deployed in different parts of the capital to fend off any trouble.

Our Chittagong, Barisal, Rajshahi correspondents reported that vehicular movements were normal and the shopping malls were also open during the hartal.