Jamaat calls hartal in Rajshahi for Tuesday

Jamaat-e-Islami has called an eight-hour long hartal in Rajshahi division for Tuesday protesting arrest of a party leader while the party student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, decided to enforce separate shutdown in 3 districts for Tuesday protesting arrest of another leader.

Jamaat called the hartal in eight districts of Rajshahi division as police arrested Rafiqul Islam, a Majlish-e-Sura member of the party in Belepukur area of Chapainawabganj town early Monday.

On the other hand Shibir will enforce the shutdown for eight-hour in Chittagong south district, Cox's Bazar and Bandarban districts protesting the arrest of Tarique Hossain, president of Chittagong south district unit of Shibir.

JAMAAT SHUTDOWN

The Jamaat decided to enforce the hartal from 6:00am Tuesday protesting the arrest, reported our correspondent quoting a press release of the party publication department of Rajshahi zone.

The press release also claimed that the arrest was made without any legal ground.

Police arrested Rafiqul at his residence in Belepukur area of Chapainawabganj town around 3:00am, said Bazlur Rashid, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sadar Model Police Station.

He was an accused in different cases filed on charges of assaulting police, obstructing their duties and carrying out subversive activities during recent hartal days, the OC said.

SHIBIR SHUTDOWN

Shibir will also begin the shutdown from 6:00am on Tuesday, reports our Chittagong correspondent quoting Nurul Amin, general secretary of Chittagong city unit of Shibir.

The hartal of Chittagong includes seven upazilas -- Patiya, Chandanaish, Anwara, Bashkhali, Boalkhali, Lohagara and Satkania.

The area under Karnaphuli Police Station of Chittagong city will also be included during the hartal

Earlier in the morning, law enforcers arrested Tarique for his alleged involvement with vandalism and arson during recent hartal days.

A team of Kotwali police arrested Tarique at a residence in the city’s Chatgaon area, Shah Abdur Rouf, assistant commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (Panchlaish zone).

The arrestee was accused in three cases filed with Kotwali and Satkania police stations in connection with vandalising public property, torching vehicles, blasting cocktails and conducting destructive activities during the recently passed hartal days, said the police official.

Of the three cases, Tarique was accused of in a cocktail blast case filed for hurting Antu Barua, a 14-year old school girl, in the city's Hemsen Lane area on March 28 during a hartal of BNP-led 18-party alliance.