BNP men, police clash in several areas of Sylhet city

Multiple clashes between BNP men and police in various Sylhet city areas took place this morning in the midst of a nationwide hartal called by BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

While trying to gather on the streets around 8:30am, a group of BNP activists got involved in a skirmish with police in the Zindabazar area.

Police chased the picketers away and opened fire with several rubber bullets, our local correspondent reports.

A motorcycle was seized by police, and a few BNP activists were detained on the spot.

Around 9:00am, a group of BNP activists staged a procession in the city's Londoni Road area, vandalised 10-12 vehicles, and got into a clash with the police.

Around 9:15am, a crude bomb detonated near the Jail Road area, originating from a BNP procession.

Police arrived quickly and used tear gas and rubber bullets to chase the protesters away.

In the city's Dargah Gate area, unidentified men set a rickshaw on fire around 10:00am. They also vandalised a press motorbike that was parked nearby.

Deputy Commissioner of the Sylhet Metropolitan Police Azbahar Ali Sheikh said, "At this point, we are trying to maintain peace while BNP members are still picketing in various places. Seven activists from various locations have been taken into custody."

Sylhet's streets were seeing less traffic than on typical days.

BNP called the dawn-to-dusk hartal today in response to the police action that forced it to abruptly end its Nayapaltan grand rally yesterday.