Shutdown to continue till 6pm Wednesday

Activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, blast several cocktails during hartal hours in the capital on Tuesday. Photo: Banglar Chokh

Jamaat-e-Islami on Tuesday reduced its 48 hours hartal, called to protest High Court verdict cancelling its registration with Election Commission, by 12 hours.

The hartal will continue till 6:00pm Wednesday, Abdullah Taher, a central working committee member of the party, told The Daily Star in the evening.

"We have decided to reduce the hartal hours so that the holidaymakers can return to their work places smoothly," the Jamaat leader said.

The party on August 6 deferred by a day the 48-hour hartal it called for August 12-13, leaving the Eid holidaymakers struggling again to reschedule their return trip.

Earlier on August 1, Jamaat called the 48-hour shutdown.