50 hurt, 300 more held

A minibus in flames on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue near Farmgate last night. At least 12 vehicles were set ablaze in different parts of the capital on the eve of the hartal called by BNP. Photo: Rashed Shumon

On the eve of the hartal called by BNP, at least 50 people were injured in clashes in the capital and elsewhere in the country and 300 people were detained during 24 hours till yesterday evening.
The arrested include the members of the main opposition BNP, its associate bodies and one of its key allies Jamaat-e-Islami.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police held another 300 people during the period on various charges.
Pro-hartal activists battled with police near the BNP central office at Naya Paltan in Dhaka, city's outskirt Tongi, neighbouring districts Gazipur and Narayanganj and other districts including Sylhet, Tangail, Pabna, Kishoreganj, Sirajganj, Sherpur and Rangamati.
Law enforcers picked up 17 BNP and Jamaat men from Sirajganj, 17 from Sherpur, 34 from Dinajpur, 18 from Manikganj, three from Bogra, four from Pabna, 12 from Tangail, seven from Narayanganj, six from Kishoreganj, six from Tongi, five from Gazipur, 48 from Sylhet, 27 from Comilla, five from Noakhali, 12 from Kurigram, 12 others from Barguna, two from Netrokona and 13 from Khagrachhari district.
Police charged batons and picked up eight BNP activists near its central office at Naya Paltan when the party men brought out a procession.
In Dhaka, five buses were torched at Mirpur, Niketan, Shyamoli and Farmgate, three taxicabs at Bonorupa, Savar, Rupnagar and two human haulers at Nilkhet from 6:00pm to 10:00pm yesterday.
Five cocktails were exploded at Dhaka University, Shahbagh and near City College.
In Tongi, police charged batons on BNP men injuring at least 10 to disperse a procession around 3:30pm.
Police barred BNP men from opening its office in the Pourasobha area.
Our staff correspondent, Sylhet, reports, about 30 persons suffered wounds as police charged baton on BNP men in the city yesterday afternoon.
Police also foiled an attempt to bring out a procession by BNP men in the city's Surma Market point and Registry Maidan.
The BNP activists set a minibus afire and vandalised a microbus at the city's Shibganj at about 4:00pm.
Meanwhile, several processions were brought out and human chains were formed in the city by different ward units of Awami League, Chhatra League and Jubo League.
Our Pabna correspondent adds, police arrested 10 BNP leaders and activists at Chatmohar, Vangura and Sujanagar upazilas and foiled several bids of the party to form processions.
Chatmohar police said they arrested the opposition men on suspicion of carrying out subversive activities during the hartal.
Meanwhile, Ishwardi police filed a case against 230 leaders and activists of Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal and BNP for rampaging.
Our Tangail correspondent reports, 12 leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations were arrested in separate raids.
Six BNP men were arrested in Kishoreganj at 11:30am, our correspondent from the district adds.