Jamaat’s strike passes off first day
An auto-rickshaw driver was killed, six including a policeman were injured with bullets and several others were injured in sporadic clashes in places across the country on Wednesday, the first day of Jamaat’s 48-hour countrywide general strike.
The policeman who was injured as pickets shot at him in Chittagong was sent to the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital in the capital in a critical condition. A bullet pierced him through the chest.
The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami announced the 48-hour non-stop countrywide general strike beginning Wednesday soon after the Appellate Division on Tuesday handed the party’s assistant secretary general Abdul Quader Molla death sentence on an appeal against an earlier verdict which sentenced him to life imprisonment for war crimes charges.
Activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing
Islami Chhatra Shibir carried out vandalism, attacked and clashed with the law enforcers, exploded crude bombs and burnt vehicles across the country. The authorities later deployed Bangladesh Border Guard personnel to keep order in places.
The party said that it called for the general strike ‘demanding release of its detained leaders, including Abdul Quader Molla, and the reinstatement of the caretaker government system.’
The first day’s strike was relaxed in the capital Dhaka. But the pickets clashed with the police in Chittagong and some other districts such as Comilla, Satkhira, Rajshahi, Feni and Bogra.
An auto-rickshaw puller died when pickets pelted the vehicle with stones in Nokhali early morning.
More than 50 people, including policemen, were injured in the clashes. The law enforcers arrested more than 100 people suspected of being Jamaat and Shibir activists involved in vandalism during the strike, at places across the country.
The police and BGB personnel opened teargas shells and gunshots to disperse the pickets.
Jamaat, in a statement, claimed more than 200 activists were injured countrywide in police action. The statement also claimed the law enforcement agencies have arrested more than three hundred of its activists.
In the capital Dhaka, most shops and markets remained closed in the morning. Educational institutions were closed.
Buses plied the city roads more than they do on usual strike days. No long-distance buses left. Train and lunch services were usual but the presence of passengers was thin.
Some Jamaat activists in Dhaka reportedly burnt three motorcycles near the National Mosque Baitul Mukarram in the evening.
Paltan police subinspector Khalid Hasan told New Age that the motorcyels parked near the mosque had been set on fire about 7:00pm.
A pedestrian by the name of Mominul Haque, who was passing by, became injured in the right arm with pieces of glass broken off the motorcycles. He was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Pickets in the morning brought out a procession at Azimpur and exploded two crude bombs. None was arrested, the police said.
The police also detained two Shibir activists when they were trying to bring out a procession at Dhalpur, the Jatrabari police officer-in-charge, Rafiqul Islam, said.
At Dakkhin Banasree, the police detained two Shibir activists and a mobile court jailed them to varying terms, the Khilgaon police officer-in-charge, Md Shirajul Islam, said.
At Pallabi, three Shibir activists were detained as they were trying to bring out a procession. The police could not arrest anyone.
At Mohakhali Wireless Gate, five to six pickets tried to bring out a procession about 6.30am but the police stopped them from carrying out any vandalism.
The ruling Awami League held a rally against the strike from near the Awami League’s central office on Bangabandhu Avenue. They also brought out a procession about noon.
Ganajagaran Mancha protesters brought out a procession in portest at the general strike.
The New Age correspondent in Noakhali said the auto-rickshaw driver Nasiruddin, 40, had become severely wounded when pickets pelted his vehicle with stones at Talerchara on the Companiganj-Daganbhuiyan Road about 7:00am. He died from his injuries when he was sent to Companiganj Health Complex.
The correspondent in Chittagong said that pickets had shot police constable Iqbal Hossain, 23, in the chest when he was patrolling the area.
The superintendent of police, KM Hafiz Akhter, said that Jamaat and Shibir activists had attacked the police.
Shibir activists pelted the police with stones as a patrol team chased pickets marching in procession from a road crossing at Jote Pukuria Bazar.
Some pickets in masks from some corner fired into the police, leaving one injured, he added.
The wounded was first admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital and was then moved to Chest Diseases Hospital in a critical condition.
The police official said the a bullet had pierced the constable through the chest.
The local administration later deployed BGB personnel to contain the situation.
The correspondent in Satkhira said that at least five Jamaat and Shibir activists had been injured as the police and BGB personnel fired gunshots and teargas shells to disperse pickets, leading to a clash.
Witnesses said the clash, which continued for about about an hour, broke out when several hundred Jamaat and Shibir activists tried to block the Jessore-Satkhira Highway at Kadamtola. Law enforcers arrested four pickets at the place.
Jamaat, however, said that at least 15 of their activists had been hit with bullets when the police and BGB personnel fired gunshots.
The correspondent in Sylhet said that the police had arrested 20 Shibir activists when they brought out processions in places such as Pathantula, Medical College Road, Shahi Eidgah, Shah Paran Bazar and Dakkhin Surma. They also blocked road with burning tyres.
SMP additional deputy commissioner Mohammed Ayub told New Age that three Shibir activists had been arrested at Baluchar and 17 others had been arrested in raids on places across the city early Wednesday.
In Natore, the police detained five Shibir activists from places at Gurudaspur and the district town in the morning.
Jamaat and Shibir activists blocked the Natore-Dhaka Highway at Chakrampur in the town by placing logs and burning tyres. The police later contained the situation.
The police arrested seven Jamaat and Shibir activists at a house at Nayapara in Jamalpur town on Tuesday night, the sadar police officer-in-charge, Mazibar Rahman Mazumder, said.
In Jhenaidah, the police arrested two Jamaat leaders on charge of being involved in the killing of a constable of the Harinakunda police station. The pickets vandalised four vehicles on Wednesday morning at Kaliganj.
Pickets also exploded crude bombs and burnt vehicles in Bogra, Comilla, Rajshahi, Gazipur and Lakshmipur.
-With New Age input
