Hartal observed in Rangpur demanding city corporation

Vehicles stay off the roads in Rangpur town during yesterday's daylong hartal. This photo was taken from Shapla Chattar area. Photo: STAR

The daylong hartal demanding upgradation of Rangpur municipality to a city corporation was largely peaceful in the district yesterday.
Jatiya Party (Ershad) backed Rangpur City Corporation Bastabayon Committee enforced the hartal to realise the demand.
Rangpur Chamber, Shop Owners' Association and different socio-cultural organisations extended their support to the hartal.
Barring an incident of clash between Jamaat-Shibir activists and police at Shapla Chattar in Rangpur town, hartal at the district headquarters passed off peacefully.
The trouble began when police foiled an attempt by Jamaat-Shibir men to bring out a procession led by district Jamaat Amir Mahbubur Rahman Belal Amir under the banner of “Sachetan Rangpurbasi” at around 2:30pm.
Jamaat-Shibir activists hurled brick chips at the law enforcers, leaving a policeman injured.
Following the incident, police picked up seven pickets from Shapla Chattar area. They are local JP leader Abdul Bari and activist Manik, and Shibir activists Harun-ur-Rashid, Nasir Uddin, Sujan, Omar Ali and Rafiqul Islam.
Vehicles stayed off the roads and shops, business establishments, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, educational institutions and private offices remained closed during hartal hours.
Attendance at government offices at the district and upazila headquarters was thin.
JP Chairman HM Ershad talked with Rangpur unit leaders during hartal hours. He asked them to continue agitation until the demand is met.
In the morning JP leaders and activists brought out a procession from their Central Road office and paraded the main streets of the town.
They also held rallies at different points in the town. Former lawmaker and JP presidium member Moshiur Rahman Ranga, Chairman of Rangpur Sadar Upazila Parishad Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa and Rangpur Pourasava Mayor AKM Abdur Rouf Manik addressed the rallies.
Bangladesh Islami Shasantantra Andolan also took out a procession in the town and held a rally in front of Rangpur Municipal Market.
At the rally, the speakers demanded that the government declare Rangpur municipality a city corporation as soon as possible. Otherwise, they threatened to launch a tougher agitation programme.