Violence, blockades mark hartal in capital

Sporadic clashes between hartal supporters and law enforcement agencies in Narayanganj and Hefajat-e-Islam and ruling party men in different parts of the capital marked yesterday's dawn-to-dusk hartal.

Hartal supporters carried out vandalism and torching, and blockaded different roads which caused immense suffering to commuters.

In the capital's Paltan area, ruling party activists and Hefajat-e-Islam men engaged in chase and counter-chase, where an AL activist was beaten up.

After Zohr prayers, Hefajat supporters again brought out a procession with sticks in their hands and chased a group of ruling party men again at Paltan intersection and drove them away. They blockaded the road for around 30 minutes while police kept the area cordoned off.

Hefajat supporters brought out multiple processions in the area over the next several hours, creating a tense situation. Around 5pm, Hefajat actvists left the area.

Elsewhere, around 300 hartal supporters blocked the road at Mohammadpur bus stand by setting fire to tyres for an hour since 7am. At least three people were injured during clashes between madrasa students and ruling party activists in the area around 11am. The clash ensued when students of a local madrasa tried to block a road in the area and ruling party men chased and beat them up with rods. The students also pelted brick chips at the ruling party activists.

Picketers also blocked a road in Basila area of Mohammadpur in the morning, causing traffic gridlock in the surrounding areas for an hour.

When students of Satmasjid madrasa in Mohammadpur tried to blockade the Satmasjid area, they clashed with police and Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders and activists around 11am. Law enforcers charged batonsto disperse the Hefajat supporters.

Earlier in the day, Awami League and its affiliates were also seen patrolling on motorcycles at Malibagh Rail Crossing and Rampura areas since morning. Some of them had sticks and hockey sticks in their hands.

Leaders and activists of Jubo League took position in Shahbagh. They chanted anti-hartal slogans in front of the National Museum.

However, the scenes was different in Narayanganj, as there was no presence of ruling party men.

Protesters blocked a five-kilometre stretch of road from Signboard to Kanchpur Bridge on Dhaka-Chittagong highway at about 7am. Torching tyres, bamboos and wooden logs at different places, they created barriers on the both side of the road, stranding many transports.

Police tried to disperse them but failed. Tension brewed throughout the day in the area as Hefajat men and locals locked into clashes intermittently.

Hartal supporters torched two trucks, a bus and a covered van and vandalised several buses. To bring the situation under control, law enforcers used tear gas, rubber bullets and charged baton.

A man was injured when Border Guard Bangladesh personnel opened fire after being attacked by picketers in Sanarpar bus stand area in Narayanganj around 11am, witnesses said.

Injured Mohammad Shakil (26), an employee of a furniture shop, was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

He sustained bullet injury in his right leg.

Shahadat Hossain, a picketer who took him to the hospital, claimed BGB men asked them to disperse when they blocked the road. A clash between Hefajat picketers and BGB ensued.

Shakil's father Abul Kasem said that his son was in the shop when he was hit by stray bullet.

After the incident, agitated locals threw stones and brick chips, damaging at least 10 vehicles on Dhaka-Chattogram highway where Hefajat activists put barricades, halting traffic movement.