The Jamaat-e-Islami has called a nationwide 48-hour hartal from Wednesday, in protest against the Supreme Court verdict that awarded capital punishment to Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah. The Jamaat acting secretary general, Rafiqul Islam Khan, announced the hartal through a statement on Tuesday, hours after the verdict. “We’ve called a strike for Wednesday and Thursday in protest against the government’s conspiracy to kill Jamaat leaders. We also want to forge a resistance against the government’s repressive
measures against us and its conspiracy against Islam. We demand immediate release of our top leaders, including Quader Mollah, and restoration of the caretaker government system,” he said.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the government’s appeal that sought death sentence for Abdul Quader Mollah. Following the verdict, the Jamaat-Shibir went berserk and indulged in sporadic clashes with the police, leaving several persons injured. They vandalised vehicles and exploded bombs to create panic in different parts of the capital and elsewhere in the country.
At least 20 persons were detained from different parts of the capital and other parts of the country for their alleged involvement in violence.
Around 2 pm, some Jamaat-Shibir men brought out a procession from Mogbazar. The police fired warning shots to disperse them. In the skirmish that followed seven persons were injured. The agitated Jamaat-Shibir men torched three vehicles.
Another group of Jamaat activists, led by its city secretary general Monjurul Islam, brought out a procession at culvert road in the Bijoynagar area. The police fired teargas shells and warning shots to disperse them. The irate activists vandalised a police van and hurled brickbats at the law enforcers.
Some Chhatra Shibir leaders and activists brought out a procession in the Kajla area of Jatrabari at about 2:15 pm. They vandalised three private cars, two buses and three CNG-run autorickshaws. They exploded several bombs to spread panic in the area.
Shibir leaders brought out another procession in front of Shaheed Suhrawardy College in Dhalpur and exploded three bombs around 2 pm. Some youths exploded two bombs in Dhanmondi-15 at about 1:45 pm. Three persons were detained from the spot.
A group of Shibir activists brought out a procession at Mazar road, Gabtoli, around 12 noon. One person was arrested from
the spot.
Nine suspects were picked up by the police as they were allegedly plotting to indulge in violent activities in Paltan area. “They were arrested from the capital’s Paltan area,” said sub-inspector Jewel Debnath.
At least 10 people, including two policemen, were injured as activists of the Jamaat-Shibir clashed with law enforcers in the port city’s Enayet Bazar area after the announcement of the Quader Mollah verdict.
The two policemen were identified as Kotwali police station sub-inspector Alim and its nayek Protap.
Mirza Saim, assistant commissioner (AC) of the Chittagong Metropolitan Police (Kotwali Zone), said about 100 Jamaat-Shibir activists brought out a procession from the Tinpool area of Riazuddin Bazar at 10:30 am and headed towards Enayet Bazar after the verdict was announced.
A fierce clash erupted when the police tried to block the procession. This left seven people, including two policemen, injured. At one stage, the police fired several rounds to disperse them. The unruly activists exploded bombs and vandalised 10 vehicles parked in the area. Later, the activists set fire to a police pick-up van and a private car. A large police force was deployed in the area to prevent any untoward situation.
In Natore, Jammat-Shibir activists brought out a procession and were locked in sporadic clashes with law enforcers, leaving at least 20 persons injured.
In Rajshahi, Jamaat-Shibir activists brought out processions from the city’s New Market area at 11 am and gathered at the Kadirganj crossing.
In Sirajganj, Jamaat activists clashed with the police, leaving five persons injured.
In Bogra, some Jammat-Shibir activists brought out a procession in the town and exploded bombs and vandalised several vehicles.
-With The Independent input
