Police use teargas, water cannon during clash with hartal supporters at Paltan

Police used water cannon and fired tear-shell during a clash with hartal supporters at Paltan intersection in Dhaka today.

LDA, a coalition of eight left-leaning political parties, enforced a half-day hartal across the country at 6am today in protest of the price hike of daily essentials.

Earlier in the day, the hartal supporters blocked Paltan intersection when police used water cannon and teargas to disperse the activists.  

Photo: Dipan Nandy

The activists also threw brick chips targeting police, triggering the clash.

Their demands include breaking the "business syndicate" that manipulates the market of essential commodities and issuing ration cards for those in need.

During the hartal, police also arrested nine people from Dhaka's Mirpur area since morning as Left Alliance leaders and activists marched in support of the strike, claimed Junaid Saki, chief coordinator of Ganasonghoti Andolon, while talking to The Daily Star.

Photo: Dipan Nandy

"Besides, we are getting news of obstructions and attacks on processions all over the country," he added.

The leaders and activists of Communist Party of Bangladesh, Ganasonghoti Andolon and other parties brought out a procession in support of the strike this morning, reports our staff correspondent from the spot. The procession went from Motijheel to Gulistan, Bijayanagar and ended in Paltan.

Meanwhile, members of law enforcement, including police, were seen in position in Paltan area.

"We are observing the strike peacefully," said one of the leaders of LDA and Communist Party of Bangladesh General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince.