Stray incidents of violence marked hartal in 10 districts enforced by local BNP leaders in protest of issuing an arrest warrant against BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, charged with money laundering. At least 15 people were detained while 20 vehicles were torched
during the hartal in different parts of the districts.The districts where a sting of hartal was observed were Feni, Faridpur, Joypurhat, Madaripur Kishoreganj, Tangail, Rajbari, Lokkhipur, Narsinghdi and Comilla.
In Feni, harter supporters vandalised at least 10 vehicles in Mahipal area, leading to tailbacks on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway around 5 am, witnesses said.
In Joypurhat, BNP supporters indulged in picketing, vandalism and march during the hartal.
Picketers vandalised a human hauler at Triptir Mor of the town at 11 am and two other battery run auto-rickshaws at Gulshan and Shahebpara areas at the same time.
President of district BNP unit Rafiqul Islam Chapal and general secretary Aminur Rashid brought out march in different parts of the town.
No long route bus left from Joypurhat Sadar and Akkelpur upazila and vehicles including trucks in the internal route also did not ply. Most of the shops, establishments and business institutions were seen closed.
Additional law enforcers were deployed at different parts of the districts to avoid untoward incident.
In Satkhira, police detained six Jamaat-Shibir activists in charges of vandalising vehicles, cutting down trees and creating subversive activities from different parts of the town in the morning during hartal.
In Faridpur, local Juba Dal and Chhatra Dal leaders and activists vandalised at least five vehicles and torched them in different parts of the town.
Police detained five leaders and activists in this connection.
Witnesses said, Chhatra Dal leaders and activists torched a truck in front of Yeasin College at Tepakhola area at 9am. They vandalised two local buses and one truck at Sadipur area at 10am.
In Tangail, police picked up four picketers while picketing during hartal.
Police detained general secretary of District Sramik Dal AKM Manirul Huq, president of Shwechaswebak Dal Aslam Mia and leaders of Sramik Dal Sabuj and Sanowar from Amin Bazar area while picketing.
Additional law enforcers were deployed to avert any untoward incident.
District Chhatra League and Sramik league brought out an anti-hartal procession in the town and held a rally.
In Madaripur, local Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Juba Dal and Shwechaswebak Dal activists blocked some roads by burning tyres and logs.
Police were deployed at all key points in the district.
Heavy vehicles like truck did not ply during the hartal. Though many shops were closed in the morning but some other shops and business establishments opened with the rise of the day.
In Laxmipur, sporadic incidents like blasting crude bombs, blocking roads, procession, rally and picketing marked the dawn-to-dusk hartal in the districts.
In Comilla, the local BNP unit brought out several processions in support of hartal in different parts of the town. The hartal supporters also picketed since early hour of the day.
-With The Independent input
