Hartal passes off peacefully in Rajshahi, Rangpur divisions

A daylong hartal (shutdown) enforced by the BNP demanding release of its central leaders passed off in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions without any major incident on Sunday.

On Wednesday, Mizanur Rahman Minu, joint secretary general of BNP, at a press conference threatened to enforce the hartal if the leaders are not released by April 20.

Pro-hartal activists brought out several processions in Rajshahi, Dinajpur and Sirajganj.

Ongoing Higher Secondary Certificate examinations are kept outside the purview of the hartal.

Meanwhile, Joypurhat unit of the BNP-led 18-party alliance called a daylong hartal in the district for Monday and Sirajganj district BNP unit called a half-day hartal for the same day.

RAJSHAHI

Pro-hartal activists set fire to tyres in the city's Malopara and Rajshahi College area around 6:30am.

The city unit BNP brought out a procession from the city's Malopara area around 7:00am and held a short rally at Sonadighi intersection after being resisted by law enforcers there, reports our Rajshahi correspondent.

Police resisted a procession and open fired to disperse the hartal supporters when the district unit BNP tried to bring out a procession from Fire Bridged area around 8:00am.

Business establishments and roadside shops were shut since the morning.

No long distance buses left or entered the city while CNG-run auto-rickshaws, tempos and rickshaws are seen plying the city roads.

RANGPUR

Auto-rickshaws, other three-wheelers and rickshaws were seen plying on the roads though no long distance buses left or entered the city since morning.

Roadside shops and educational institutions were shut since the morning, reports our Rangpur correspondent.

SIRAJGANJ

Law enforcers dispersed pro-hartal activists when they tried to bring out a procession at Kazipur area in the town around 9:30am.

Police also fired three rounds of teargas shells when they hurled brick chips towards them, reports our Pabna correspondent quoting Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Sirajganj Police Station.

DINAJPUR

Pro-hartal activists brought out several processions in different areas of the district.

No long distance buses left or entered the district, reports our Dinajpur correspondent.

BACKGROUNG

Joypurhat unit of the BNP-led 18-party alliance called a daylong hartal in the district for Monday to mount pressure on the government for rescuing district Jamaat leader Prof Nazrul Islam, who was allegedly abducted on April 11.

On Friday, the alliance announced the hartal at a meeting with District BNP President Md Mozahar Ali Prodhan in the chair.

Sirajganj district BNP called an eight-hour hartal for Monday protesting a cocktail explosion on its pre-hartal hour procession on Saturday afternoon.

The district BNP unit general secretary Advocate Mokaddes Ali told The Daily Star that they will observe hartal from 6:00am to 2:00pm.