Jamaat-Shibir hartal flops in Sylhet, Cox's Bazar

An 8-hour hartal enforced by Islami Chhatra Shibir ended in Sylhet amid some stray incidents while the second day of a 48-hour hartal called by Jamaat-backed Mukti Parishad passed off largely disregarded in Cox's Bazar yesterday.
Meanwhile, businesses, shop owners, the ruling alliance and demonstrators demanding death penalty for war criminals in Rangpur declared to resist Jamaat-e-Islami's countrywide hartal today at any cost.
Our Sylhet correspondent reports: Shibir men vandalised several auto-rickshaws and blasted at least 20 cocktails during chases and counter-chases with police at Mira Bazar, Pathantola, Madina Market and Darga Gate in Sylhet city.
Police arrested four people and seized four motorcycles at Shibganj.
Though rickshaws and auto-rickshaws dominated the streets, SSC examinees faced immense sufferings on way to exam halls due to a lack of motorised transports.
Shibir, a pro-Jamaat organisation, enforced the hartal protesting “police action” that left two of its activists with bullet wounds during a clash at Naya Sarak in Sylhet city on Saturday.
Our Cox's Bazar correspondent reports: Shops and educational institutions remained open and all types of vehicles plied the streets while additional members of police, Rapid Action Battalion and Border Guard Bangladesh were posted at key points of the district to avert any untoward incident.
The hartal was called demanding release of war crimes accused Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Delawar Hossain Sayedee.
Our Rangpur correspondent reports: Rangpur Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Rangpur District Dokan Malik Samity, “Jagorani Mancha” of the demonstrators and the ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance declared to stay on the streets to resist Jamaat-Shibir.
Jamaat called the hartal protesting against the deaths of three Jamaat-Shibir activists during a gun battle with police in Cox's Bazar on Friday.