Clashes mar BNP strike

The 36-hour nationwide shutdown called by the BNP was marred by pitch battles fought between strikers and police in Dhaka.

Pro-BNP Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal activists hurled brickbats at police from a procession in Gabtoli but the law keepers chased them away. Strikers also took out processions in Tejgaon, Gabtoloi and Rampura areas.

Police said they brought out another procession near Mirpur’s Ansar Camp and exploded handmade bombs there around 7am.

Chhatra Shibir activists also brought out a procession in Mirpur 1 in the morning but fled when police approached. The Jamaat-e-Islami student front has gained notoriety in recent months for attacking the police across Bangladesh.

In Rampura, strikers set fire to banners and demonstrated.

Police frustrated attempts of strikers to take out processions in Jatrabarhi, Sub Inspector Emranul Islam said.

Meanwhile in Narayanganj, at least 10 people were injured when strikers fought similar pitched battles with police at the start of the opposition strike demanding release of their leaders from detention.

Police detained 21 strike supporters from the site of the clash.

Police and RAB personnel have been deployed at key points of the capital, Dhaka, to avoid any untoward incident.

Rickshaws and auto-rickshaws were seen in good numbers while the presence of public transport was relatively higher than in other recent strikes.

Long distance buses were grounded but rail and launch services were normal, officials said.

Tuesday’s scheduled Higher Secondary Certificate and equivalent examinations have been rescheduled for Saturday, Apr 13, due to the strike.

The three districts of Chittagong Hill Tracts --Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban -- have been exempted from the purview of the strike to allow celebration of local festival Boishabi.

BNP’s Joint Secretary General Salaluddin Ahmed gave the general strike call on Sunday minutes after the bail petition of eight of its top leaders including acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir were rejected and they were send to jail in several violence-related cases.

Ahmed was also picked up on Monday night. With that, almost the entire topbrass of BNP has been put behind bars.

Although a large police posse was seen outside the BNP’s Naya Paltan headquarters, no party supporters were seen active there.

The opposition had enforced similar shutdowns on Mar 12, 18, 19 and Mar 27-28.

Other demands of the opposition include withdrawal of ‘false’ cases against their supporters, stopping killings during police action, holding national elections under a non-partisan caretaker body and resignation of the incumbent government.