At least 150 people, including seven policemen, were injured in stray incidents of violence across the country on the last day of the 60-hour hartal, called by the BNP-led 18-party opposition combine, on Wednesday. In Dhaka, pro-hartal activists torched a number of vehicles and exploded several crude bombs, thereby creating panic among the people. A group of pro-hartal activists carried out a series of explosions at the Shahjahanpur intersection of the city in the morning. Police said Jubo Dal activists exploded around a dozen of crude bombs in the area at around 8:45 am.
In Demra, hartal supporters set fire to the Sramik League office at East Hazi Nagar around 5:30 am. Police said the picketers also exploded two crude bombs there. Local residents, however, managed to douse the flames withion half-an-hour.
Law enforcers rounded up three activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, while they were picketing.
Buses, private cars and CNG-run three-wheelers were plying on the streets. However, no inter-city bus left the Mohakhali, Gabtoli, Gulistan and other bus terminals. All shopping malls and most roadside shops also remained closed.
Large contingents of law enforcers were deployed at every key point of the capital to maintain the law and order situation during the hartal.
In Tejgaon, picketers torched a CNG-run three-wheeler at Satrasta intersection around 6 am, said Moniruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Tejgaon Police Station.
In Mohammadpur, some Shibir workers exploded two crude bombs near Shia Mosjid in Mohammadpur around 6:30 am. Police detained two of the picketers from the spot. In Comilla, the police clashed with AL and BNP workers, leaving at least 23 people, including seven policemen, injured in Burichang upazila. Shah Alam, BNP publicity secretary of the Burichang upazila unit, and Javed Kaiser, one union parishad chairman of the upazila, sustained rubber bullet injuries.
Ten AL and BNP men were injured in another clash at Konsonagar in Debidwar upazila of the district on Wednesday morning.
Pro-hartal activists blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Chandina for one hour since 11 am.
In Chandpur, a group of BNP workers brought out a procession in support of the hartal. They vandalised at least 10 roadside shops at Bahria Bazaar in Sadar upazila around 10 am. AL activists brought out an anti-hartal procession in the area and clashed with the opposition men, leaving 50 people injured. Police fired several teargas canisters to bring the situation under control, said Chandpur police super Amir Zafar.
The police picked up 12 people from different parts of the district for picketing.
In Gazipur, train service between Dhaka and Chittagong were suspended for two hours as picketers had removed slippers from the railway tracks at Nimtoli in Tongi upazila around 5 am, said Sardar Ziauddin, station master of Joydevpur Railway Station.
In Khulna, picketers torched a three-wheeler at Muzgunni bus stand in Khalishpur area of the city at about 6:30 am, said Hossain Al Mahmud, second officer of Khalishpur Police Station.
In Bogra, hartal supporters exploded at least five cocktails in Boubazar area of the town around 7 am.
In Rangpur, At least 15 persons were injured, including policemen, during the hartal. They threw crude bombs at a police van, cocktails inside the Rangpur Government Begum Rokeya College, torched three vehicles and damaged 10 auto-bikes.
-With The Independent input
