Only day left is Wednesday

The first day of second spell of hartal, enforced by the Jamaat-e-Islami, passed almost in a relaxed manner yesterday, but uncertainty loomed large on the fate of 21 lakh JSC and JDC students due to frequent shifting of dates of their exams.

The fresh announcement of a 24-hour hartal on Thursday has dealt a further blow to the students as the exam schedule on that day is likely to be deferred like the last two exams.

The Jamaat-e-Islami called the countrywide hartal for Thursday in protest against its leader Mir Quasem Ali's death sentence for war crimes.

Anxious, guardians say their children are once again set to face similar ordeals like that of last year when frequent shutdowns and blockades, enforced in November and December, devastated exam schedules and messed up the academic calendar of all educational institutions.

Around 30 lakh primary and ebtedai students are also worried and panicked over possible shutdowns with their tests set to begin on November 23.

On Wednesday, Jamaat called the 72-hartal for Thursday, Sunday and Monday after ICT-1 handed down death penalty to Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.

There is a possibility of another round of hartals as the Supreme Court will deliver its judgment today on the appeal of war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman challenging death penalty awarded to him for his wartime offences.

Jamaat has called 96 hours hartals which put the country on a nine-day hiatus till Sunday except for Wednesday, as there are four weekly holidays and one day holiday for holy Ashura on Tuesday within this time.

Meanwhile, a huge number of public and private vehicles were seen plying on city streets in Dhaka yesterday. Trains and launches operated normally but no long-route buses left Dhaka for other districts from any of the inter-district bus terminals.

Rapid Action Battalion yesterday arrested a youth named Manik from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar for allegedly creating anarchy during hartal. The Rab also recovered 56 crude bombs and eight hand bombs and huge bomb making materials from the area.

Criminals blasted cocktails in front of the house of Omar Faruq Chowdhury, jubo league chairman, around 8:00pm yesterday, said AB Siddique, officer-in-charge of Dhanmondi Police Station. Three persons had been arrested in this connection, the OC added.

In Narayanganj, at lest 10 Jamaat activists were injured during a chase and a counter-chase with police at Chandnimari when they tried to bring out a procession. They also torched a bus. Police detained six Jamaat-Shibir activists from the spot.

In Shiddirganj of Narayanganj, Jamaat-Shibir activists blasted several crude bombs and vandalised four to five passenger buses, leaving five people injured.

In Barisal, pro-hartal men tried to block road by felling trees. They left the spot as soon as police rushed there.

In Gaibandha, police arrested one union Jamaat ameer and two activists from different areas of the district yesterday.

In Bogra, pickets burnt tyres at PTI intersection, Kanojgari, Belail and Charmatha of Rangpur-Dhaka highway.

Pickets hurled two crude bombs at police at Belail. Later, police arrested five Jamaat-shibir men.

Meanwhile, the ruling Awami League expressed satisfaction over the death penalty awarded to Jamaat leader Mir Quasem Ali and also thanked people for rejecting hartal.

At a press briefing at Dhanmondi party office, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, AL joint general secretary, said offices, banks and other organisations were functional and transportation were as usual yesterday.