Nationwide hartal underway 95 injured, 5 held

The countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal, called by opposition BNP, is underway amid scattered incidents of violence, vehicle damage and arrests in the capital as well as across the country. Oosition is observing 2-day dawn to dusk hartal from Sunday in protest against missing of BNP leader M Elias Ali.

In the early hours of the hartal, BNP leaders and activists gathered at the party central office in Nayapaltan. A procession was later brought out led by BNP joint secretary general Ruhul kabir Rizvi Ahmed. Meanwhile, police tried to pick up the opposition men including Ruhul kabir Rizvi. Later, they were released within a few moments.

At least six cocktails were set off in different areas of the city on Sunday morning. Witnesses said two cocktails were blasted in front of Boro Masjid in city’s Nababpur area, one in Maghbazar area and three in front of Mugda Ideal School and College under Sabujbagh Thana at around 9am. Pickets vandalized some 17 vehicles in the city during the hartal hours. Besides, five people were held in Dhaka and Jhalokati districts on Sunday morning.

At least 95 people were injured amid scattered incidents of violence in two districts on Sunday morning. BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “The government has turned the country into a jail and killing field.” He made the observation while talking to journalists immediately after the nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal began on Sunday for the day first.

Some 10,000 police personnel have been deployed to avert the untoward situation during the hartal hours in the city.In outbreaks of pre-hartal unrest, three buses were burnt in Shewrapara, in front of Mirpur Zoo and Ansar Camp areas Saturday night. Later, fire fighters rushed in and doused the flame. On April 24, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia gave at ultimatum to the government saying they would stage tougher and nonstop movement programmes if Elias Ali and his driver are not found by April 28. Moreover, the four-day ultimatum to the government to find out the BNP leader ended in Saturday evening. Opposition BNP then called countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal for April 29 and 30.

Acting secretary general of the party Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came up with the announcement at a press conference held at Nayapaltan central party office in the city on Saturday afternoon. Earlier, the opposition BNP earlier enforced hartal on April 22, 23 and 24 on the same issue.