Stray violence marks hartal

Vehicles set on fire, vandalised

 

 

 

Pickets throw brickbats at a bus in the capital's Tejgaon yesterday morning during the dawn-to-dusk hartal protesting the disappearance of BNP leader Ilias Ali.Photo: STARStaff Correspondent

Sporadic violence and detention of opposition activists marked the first day of the back-to-back shutdowns by the BNP-led 18-party alliance to continue pressure on the government to trace missing BNP leader M Ilias Ali.
The presence of opposition leaders and activists was thin in the streets of the capital during yesterday's dawn-to-dusk hartal across the country.
More vehicles were seen plying city roads compared to last week's hartals.
Police barred opposition activists from bringing out processions in different parts of the city. Pro-hartal pickets also tried to stop vehicular movement in many areas.
Despite tight security, handmade cocktails went off in and outside the Secretariat, the country's administrative centre, much to the embarrassment of law enforcement agencies.
Acting BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir threatened to go for tougher agitations if Ilias is not “returned” by today.
“The government has failed to locate Ilias Ali. It is playing a new game. I would like to make it clear to the government that tougher programmes will be announced if Ilias is not returned by Monday,” he told journalists at the party's Nayapaltan office.
Meanwhile, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, joint secretary general of ruling Awami League, said it would not be possible to oust the government through hartal and agitations.
Intra-party feuds might have led to Ilias' disappearance, he said.
Hanif urged the opposition to avoid calling shutdowns that are “aimed at thwarting the war crimes trial and saving Khaleda Zia's two sons from corruption charges.”
M Ilias Ali, BNP central organising secretary and its Sylhet unit president, along with his driver went missing on April 17 and his car was found abandoned near his Banani residence in the capital the next day.
Three handmade cocktails exploded near a procession, led by BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, in front of the party's Nayapaltan office yesterday morning.
Police picked up Mostafizur Rahman Iran, the chairman of Labour party, a component of the BNP-led alliance, when he tried to enter the BNP office. Three female activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal were also detained but released a few minutes later.
At least 17 people were arrested at different spots, as pro-hartal activists vandalised four vehicles and exploded cocktails during the shutdown, said an official of the Dhaka Metropolitan police.
Two buses were torched in the evening -- one at Gulistan at about 7:30pm and another near the Public Service Commission nearly an hour later. No casualty was reported in the incidents.
Twenty cocktails went off in six parts of the capita -- five at Tollarbagh, two near BNP's Nayapaltan office, two more at Nazirabazar in Old Dhaka, five at Mohakhali crossing, five on Mugda-Bishwa Road and one at Malibagh.
All the explosions happened between 6:30am and 9:00am.
Activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal's Titumir College unit vandalised several vehicles, including an ambulance, in Mohakhali area at about 8:20am. They put blockades on the road in front of the college for a while.
Law enforcers barred a procession of around 10 opposition lawmakers from marching towards Manik Mia Avenue from South Plaza of the parliament complex.
Pickets threw brickbats at buses and human haulers at many points, leaving a number of passengers and pedestrians injured.
A bus came under attack in front of the Dhanmondi Government Boys' High School on Mirpur Road. Several people, including a woman, were injured in the incident.
Pro-hartal activists also attacked vehicles in front of the Dhaka College, English Road in Old Dhaka, Green Road, Shahjahanpur and Golapbagh.
The total number of injured could not be verified.
Police and Rab personnel patrolled the streets and the key points in the capital.
Educational institutions, most shops and shopping malls remained closed. However, government and private offices were open.