Jamaat hartal draws poor response

The 24-hour nationwide hartal, enforced by Jamaat-e-Islami demanding release of its jailed nayeb-e-ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee, continued amid poor response on Thursday, reports UNB.

In the capital, Jamaat-Shibir activists brought out processions in support of the shutdown in different areas, including Shyamoly, Mirpur Commerce College, Mahakhali level-crossing and Shajahanpur, early in the morning only to be dispersed by police.

Vehicular movement in the city was almost normal as additional policemen were deployed at important points to fend off any untoward incident. No major incident of violence was reported from any part of

the country till filling of the report at about 7:40 pm, except some stray incidents.

In Narayanganj, about 10 vehicles were vandalised during a procession of Islami Chhatra Shibir in Galachipa area around 8.00am. Later, police charged baton to disperse the pickets and arrested one Shibir man.

In Laxmipur, police charged baton on a Jamaat-Shibir procession in the town in the morning and arrested eight of their activists, including Laxmipur Jamaat Ameer Faruk Hossain Nur Nabi.

In Sylhet, Jamaat-Shibir men brought out processions in the city's Ambarkhana, Darshandewri, Khasdabir, Sobhanighat, Kumarpara and Eidgah areas in the morning, backing the general strike. The pickets vandalised a CNG-driven auto-rickshaw and a truck at Darshandewri in the morning.

In Comilla, pickets torched a cotton-laden truck at Barera in Debidar upazila in the morning. Later, firefighters doused the flame.

The Islamist party on Wednesday called a 48-hour countrywide hartal in two phases for Thursday and Sunday demanding that the government release its leader Sayedee, jailed unto death in an appeal verdict for his crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War in 1971.