The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has called a dawn-to-dusk hartal across the country on Monday, in protest against the punishment meted out to its three leaders by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-2) on charges of contempt of court. Mokbul Ahmed, acting ameer of the Jamaat-e-Islami, announced the programme through a press release, hours after the ICT-2 jailed Jamaat leaders Hamidur Rahman Azad and Rafiqul Islam Khan for three months and slapped a fine of Tk. 1,000 on the party’s Dhaka city unit leader Selim Uddin.
“The hartal was called in protest against the mass arrest and inhuman treatment of Jamaat-Shibir activists across the country, demanding immediate release of detained party leaders and activists, withdrawal of false cases and restoration of the caretaker government provision,” he said.
He, however, said that Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Barisal city corporation areas would remain out of the hartal’s purview due to the city corporation elections. “We urge people from all walks of life, to observe the day-long hartal beginning at 6 am on Monday to protest against the mass arrest and torture of Jamaat leaders and activists across the country and the government conspiracy to destroy our party,” he added.
On Sunday, the ICT-2 delivered its verdict on the three Jamaat leaders—Hamidur Rahman Azad, MP, acting party secretary general Rafiqul Islam Khan and Dhaka city unit assistant secretary general Selim Uddin—for contempt of court.
-With The Independent input
