Clashes, vandalism, cocktail blasts mark first day of hartal

Hartal supporters block traffic on Chandpur-Comilla highway by felling a big roadside tree at Khajuria point under Kachua upazila of Chandpur district yesterday, the first day of the 36-hour countrywide hartal enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance. Photo: Star

Clashes, vandalism and cocktail blasts marked the first day of the 36-hour countrywide hartal enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance yesterday, according to our correspondents.
In Rajshahi, at least 13 BNP men, including the district unit president Nadim Mostafa, were injured in a clash with police in the city.
Witnesses said A BNP procession led by Nadim Mostafa was brought out from Sadar Hospital intersection in the city around 7:00am. When the processionists reached in front of Rajshahi Government College, police surrounded them and opened fire.
Ziaur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Boalia Police Station, said BNP men hurled a cocktail and brick chips at the law enforcers, forcing them to fire around 50 rubber bullets.
Nadim Mostafa received injury in his leg. He claimed that police fired rubber bullets and teargas shells on the procession without any provocation. Raihan, a camera crew of Ekattor Television, was also injured as police fired teargas shells during the clash.
BNP men barricaded fire brigade intersection at around 9:00am by burning tyres. Police fired rubber bullets and dispersed the pickets.
In Narayanganj, at least five people were injured during chase and counter-chase between police and pickets at Shaheed Bappy Smrity Sharani in the city.
Shibir activists blasted at least 10 cocktails on Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Dhun Haji in Siddhirganj upazila in the morning. Pickets vandalised a bus in Panchabati area of Fatullah at around 6:45am.
In Lalmonirhat, two doctors were assaulted alleged by hartal supporters at Haribhanga area in the town. They are Zakiul Islam, head of the health department at RDRS Bangladesh, and Rafiqul Islam, medical officer of the eye care project of the institution.
Hartal supporters assaulted Rafiqul Islam while he was going to his office in Haribhanga area of the town. As Dr Zakiul went to the spot, the pickets also assaulted him.
Locals rescued the two doctors and took them to RDRS office. A case was lodged with Lalmonirhat Sadar Police Station, accusing 15 BNP men.
In Khulna, JCD activists vandalised five battery-run easy bikes in front of the Khulna Metropolitan Police headquarters at Khan Jahan Ali Road at around 10:00am.
Shibir men hurtled two cocktails and brick chips at the police when law enforces intercepted their procession at Sonadanga at around 6:00am, said SM Qamruzzam, officer-in-charge of the local police station.
Shibir man blasted three bombs and vandalised two human haulers at Powerhouse intersection at around 7:30am.
In Sirajganj, pickets vandalised at least five trucks in Tatbazar in Raiganj upazila in the morning.
Md Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Sirajganj Police Station said law enforcers dispersed the BNP men when they were shouting slogans at Jogar more area at around 10.30 am.
Police picked up three pickets from the spot, the OC added.
In Narsingdi, BNP activists vandalised a CNG-run auto-rickshaw and blocked Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Bhelanagar in the town after a police intercepted a procession led by Khairul Kabir Khokon, president of BNP district unit on the highway in the morning.
An auto-rickshaw driver named Jahangir was injured during the attack.  Police arrested three pickets on the spot.
In Chittagong, pro-hartal activists vandalised a truck at BRTC intersection and a CNG-run auto-rickshaw at Kazir Dewri intersection in the morning.
However, the Chittagong unit of the BNP-led alliance will enforce a half day hartal in the port city today, considering the traditional “Jabbarer Boli Khela and Baishakhi Mela”.
In Sylhet, Shibir activists blasted at least six crackers and torched tyres at Pathantola on Sylhet-Sunajganj highway around 7:00am. BNP district and city units brought out separate processions at Zindabazar around 8:00am.
In Bogra, BNP men blocked roads at Bagopara, Khander intersection, Sutrapur and Riaz Kazi Lane in the city by felling logs and burning tyres. Police dispersed the activists and removed the logs from the roads.
In Chandpur, hartal supporters blocked Chandpur-Comilla road by felling trees and burning tyres at different points. Pickets also vandalised several auto-rickshaws on Matlab-Pennai Road.
Police detained four pickets during the hartal, said Amir Jafar, superintendent of police.