1st phase hartal being observed lackadaisically

The 1st phase of Jamaat's 48-hour nationwide hartal (general strike) is being observed lackadaisically in the country, including Dhaka city, on Thursday. Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir are enforcing the 2-day shutdown across the country from 6am today demanding release of Jamaat Nayeb-e-Ameer Delawar Hossain Sayedee, sentenced to imprisonment unto death by the Supreme Court on Wednesday for wartime offences during Bangladesh's independence struggles in 1971. All government offices, educational institutes, govt, semi-govt and autonomous organisations, government and private banks, markets and super markets have opened in the morning with almost normal attendance. Besides, almost all modes of transports including public and private buses, are plying in the city roads and highways across the country. Airports, sea ports and river ports are operating normally since early in the morning and all ready-made garment units opened with normal attendance. No major violence was reported in Dhaka city till filing this report around 9:50pm. The 1st round of hartal will continue till 6am tomorrow (Friday) and the 2nd phase lockdown will start at 6:00am on Sunday and end at 6:00am on Monday. Following the SC verdict on Sayedee, Jamaat acting ameer Moqbul Ahmed and acting secretary general Shafiqur Rahman, in a press release, made the announcement of the twin hartal on Wednesday. The party will arrange doa mahfil for Sayedee on Friday and nationwide demonstration on Saturday, according to private TV channels.