Shibir called hartal in Rajshahi goes almost unheeded

Jamaat-Shibir men set this bus afire near Mohananda Bridge in Chapainawabganj on Sunday on the eve of yesterday's daylong shutdown. Photo: Star

The daylong hartal enforced by Islami Chhatra Shibir went almost unheeded in the district yesterday.
Tight security measures were taken in the city with deployment of a huge number of policemen and Rapid Action Battalion at different points, said SM Moniruzzaman, commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, reports our staff correspondent.
Shibir, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, on Sunday called the hartal (shutdown) in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts demanding release of its leader Anwarul Islam Masum who, according to Shibir, was picked up by Rab members from his residence at Darikharbona in Rajshahi city on April 4.
Rab, however, refuted that they detained Masum, office secretary of Shibir Rajshahi city unit.
All kinds of vehicles including trains and inter-district buses operated smoothly while government offices including courts were held normally.
All shops and markets remained open and classes and examinations were held at educational institutions.
In Chapainawabganj, stray incidents of clashes marked the hartal.
Police and witnesses said, the Jamaat-Shibir activists staged demonstration by burning tyres on Chapainawabganj-Rajshahi highway and Chapainawabganj-Sonamasjid land port road at Upar Rajarampur and Shibtala in the town.
They brought out a procession welding bamboo sticks from different areas of the town at around 6:30am, reports our correspondent.
A chase and counter chase took place between police and Jamaat-Shibir activists when they hurled brick chips on policemen at Upar Rajarampur at around 7:30am. They also exploded a few crackers.
Police fired at least eight bullets from short guns to disperse the activists.
Buses remained off the roads in the town.
On Sunday evening, Shibir men torched a passenger bus in Toll Plaza area of Mohananda Bridge in the town to create panic among the people.