Sporadic violence marks hartal

Sporadic acts of violence marked the countrywide 24-hour hartal enforced by the Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday.    
Law enforcers picked up around 50 Jamaat-Shibir activists in last 36 hours across the country.
The capital was largely peaceful during hartal hours, with almost all businesses and offices operating normally. Traffic was lighter than usual for a weekday, but a large number of vehicles plied the city thoroughfares.
Trains and launches operated on schedule, but long-haul buses stayed off the streets. The shutdown is to end at 6:00am today.
Jamaat called two 24-hour hartals for yesterday and Sunday demanding release of its leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee who was convicted by the Supreme Court on Wednesday of committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War and was sentenced to imprisonment until death.
Police detained two pickets in Mirpur when they were trying to bring out a procession on Chiriakhana Road at Rainkhola around 7:00am, said Syed Asaduzzaman, sub-inspector of Mirpur Police Station.
UNB reports: Jamaat-Shibir men brought out processions at Shyamoli and Mohakhali level crossing in the morning, but were dispersed by police.
In Narayanganj, Shibir men vandalised at least seven vehicles when they brought out a procession in the town's Golachipa around 8:30am. Police said as they tried to disperse the agitators, a chase and counter-chase took place between them and pickets. A picket was detained in the area.
In Rajshahi, police fired blank shots to disperse stick-wielding demonstrators when they tried to bring out a procession at the city's Dingaduba around 7:00am, said Tanvir Haider, deputy commissioner (headquarters) of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police.  
Motihar police said they rounded up at least 11 leaders and activists of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (Ruet) unit Shibir for creating anarchy on the campus during hartal hours.
Shutdown supporters in Bogra vandalised a truck at Arelia on Bogra-Noagaon highway early yesterday.
Police said pickets hurled brick bats at the truck. As the driver tried to speed off, the truck skidded off the road. The driver sustained minor injuries.
Jamaat-Shibir men damaged another truck and a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in Kaloni and Khandar areas of the town early in the day.
In Sylhet, police fired shots to disperse Jamaat-Shibir men and remove a barricade on Sylhet-Sunamganj road at Bolaura area around 11:30am. Police detained five pickets from the spot.
Vandals also damaged three trucks at Ambarkhana intersection and a microbus at Khasdobir area in the city in the morning.
In Chittagong, a team of Rapid Action Battalion-7 recovered four crude bombs in Halishahar yesterday morning.
Law enforcers picked up 18 Jamaat-Shibir men from Satkhira, seven from Feni, three from Pirojpur Sadar upazila and five from Kurigram yesterday and the night before.
Our correspondents in Narayanganj, Rajshahi, Bogra, Sylhet, Chittagong, Satkhira, Feni, Pirojpur and Kurigram contributed to the report.