Sporadic clashes mark day-long shutdown

Sporadic clashes marked the daylong shutdown enforced by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in districts across the country yesterday, according to our correspondents.
Over 50 pickets were arrested and scores of vehicles were vandalised and set afire by Jamaat-Shibir men in different districts during hartal hours.
In Narayanganj, Jamaat-Shibir activists blocked Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Mouchak and Sanarpar areas under Siddhirganj Police Station for an hour from 6:30am by setting fire to at least 50 tyres.
Vehicular movement resumed on the road after police and Rab members removed the burning tyres at around 7:30am
The pro-hartal activists also ransacked around ten vehicles and set fire to two buses in Bhuigarh Delpara and Dapa areas in Fatullah during chase and counter chase with law enforcers.
Shibir activists set a bus of 'Bandhan Paribahan' afire on Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road in the morning, halting traffic movement on the road for half and hour.
In another incident in Dapa area, pro-hartal activists vandalised a bus of 'Ananda Paribahan' and later set it on fire, leaving several passengers injured.
Police arrested Shibir activist Shafiqul Alam from Bhuigargh Chowrapara area on charge of setting fire to a bus, said Sheikh Nazmul Alam, superintendent of police of Narayanganj.
In Barisal, eight Jamaat-Shibir activists were arrested in Barisal city, four in Muladi upazila, two in Mehendiganj upazila and one was arrested in Babuganj upazila during hartal.
BCL activists beat up Barisal polytechnic unit Shibir President Ahsan Habib and later handed him over to the police.
In Satkhira, at least 13 Jamaat-Shibir men were arrested from different areas of the district on charges of vandalising vehicles, including a police van, and putting barricades on roads during hartal hours.
In Cox's Bazar, police Sub-Inspector Kabir Hossain was injured during a clash with pickets at Eidgah bus stand in the town. Pro-hartal activists vandalised at least 10 vehicles in the area.
In Feni, Jamaat-Shibir activists vandalised at least 10 vehicles and set fire to a rickshaw in the town.
Two passenger buses were ransacked in Megnishtola area on Bagerhat-Khulna highway and five Jamaat-Shibir men were arrested in Kishoreganj and Kurigram on charge of vandaliszing vehicles.
In Khulna, pickets vandalised two trucks in city's Muzgunni and Sonadanga areas and two auto-rickshaws at Daulatpur.
In Dinajpur, At least eight Jamaat-Shibir activists were arrested on charge of vandalising vehicles in Birganj and Dinajpur town, police said.
Picketers vandalised a Panchagarh-bound BRTC bus and a truck at Doshmail on Dinajpur-Dhaka highway. At least 15 bus passengers were injured during the attack.
In Sylhet, pro-hartal activists vandalised at least 20 vehicles and torched two motorbikes in Sylhet Railway Station area and at Chandipool point. Police arrested at five pickets from both areas.
In Chittagong, Jamaat-Shibir men vandalised a bus, two tempos and one auto-rickshaw near Rajakhali area at around 7:45am. Police picked up three pro-hartal supporters from there.
Jamaat activists damaged a CNG-run auto-rickshaw near Nasimon Bhaban, the office of BNP city unit, at around 10:00am. Police arrested two pickets from Majhirghat area at around 11:00am as they were blocking vehicular movement by setting fire to tyres on the road in the area.
Pro-hartal activists damaged a city service bus near City Gate at the same time. They also set fire to an oil tanker and beat up its driver near Sitakunda Bazar at around 12:00noon.
Picketers torched a police van in Brahmanbaria town bypass road at around 7:10 am and set two good-laden trucks in front of Palli Bidyut Samity office near NAZ Garden in Bogra town.
At least 18 Jamaat-Shibir activists were arrested from different places of the district during hartal hours.