Pickets on the rampage
Hartal Against Women Policy
Pickets on the rampage
At least 120 buses vandalised, 250 injured
Left: Activists of Islamist groups carry the Quran underneath their outer garments during the hartal yesterday. This was the first time the holy book was used during any demonstration, with a possible intention that the Quran might be desecrated in the event of scuffles with the police who would then be blamed for the desecration. The photo was taken at Shanti Nagar in the capital. Right: A member of an Islamist group kicks a policeman hard during the hartal yesterday. Photo: Palash Khan
Staff Correspondent The general strike enforced yesterday by Islamic activists ended through violence in the capital and other cities leaving over 250 people, including 16 policemen, injured and 200 detained.
Islamic Ain Bastabayan Sangstha, a group linked to a faction of Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) and led by Fazlul Huq Aminee, called the dawn-to-dusk nationwide strike. The group is campaigning against the government's newly-announced National Women Policy.
Aminee and his supporters insist that the policy has provisions that go against the principles of the holy Quran. The government denies the allegation saying the policy reflects the constitutional provision of ensuring equal rights to women and ending all disparity against them.
Women rights groups have backed the government urging an early implementation of the policy announced on March 8.
The protesters yesterday draped themselves with white clothes symbolising shrouds and carried copies of the holy Quran as they clashed with the law enforcers. Such use of the holy book during a protest provoked indignation of many.
Meanwhile, a major violence took place in Chittagong. Pickets vandalised over 100 buses and set fire to a petrol pump in the port city.
Schools and many shops remained closed in the capital yesterday. Although buses, private cars and other vehicles were seen running in numbers in many parts of the city, traffic was thin in Shanti Nagar-Paltan-Gulistan areas, where much of the city's violence occurred.
Hartal supporters attacked vehicles of ruling party lawmakers in Chandpur and Brahmanbaria. Lawmakers Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir and RMA Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury of Chandpur-1 and Brahmanbaria-3 constituencies, however, escaped unhurt.
Aminee, also chief of IOJ -- a component of four-party alliance led by main opposition BNP, claimed that police arrested 315 of his supporters while more than 200 were injured. He had earlier threatened to burn the country in an hour in the event of the court verdict on fatwa going against them. At a press briefing yesterday evening, he declared a fresh protest programme.
In Dhaka, pickets, mostly madrasa students, clashed with law enforcers in Shanti Nagar, Paltan, Dainik Bangla, Press Club, Mirpur section-10, Mohammadpur, Lalbagh and Demra areas leaving around 100 injured. Police detained 120 people.
The law enforcers used rubber bullets and hurled teargas canisters to disperse the pickets attacking with brickbats and bamboos. Chases and counter chases took place.
Police detained 65 persons from Paltan, six from Mirpur and 15 from Demra. At least 50 people were injured in the clashes at Signboard area in Demra.
Gazi Mozammel Huq, deputy commissioner (Wari Zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said the clash in Demra erupted around 11:00am when police resisted teachers and students of Kawmi Madrasa from vandalising vehicles.
CHITTAGONG
Around 2,000 pro-hartal activists attacked a convoy of around 400 buses carrying devotees from different parts of the country to Maizbhandar Sharif (a shrine) in Fatikchhari upazila around 12:30pm. The pickets vandalised over 100 buses, reports our Chittagong correspondent.
Nine people, including a policeman, were injured in the incident. Five of them were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital while the rest to Hathazari upazila health complex.
The protesters also set fire to Sheuli Petrol Pump in the area. On information, firemen rushed to the spot and doused the flames around 1:00pm.
Vehicular movement in Hathazari area remained suspended till 4:30pm yesterday as students of Darul Ulm Moinul Islam Madrasa blocked roads. Pickets also put a barricade on Chittagong-Cox's Bazar highway in Patiya upazila in the morning.
CHANDPUR
Pro-hartal activists attacked the motorcade of Awami League lawmaker MK Alamgir at the district's Kochua around 12:00 noon.
Alamgir escaped the attack unhurt.
The pickets vandalised six vehicles of the motorcade and a filling station.
Bangladesh Chhatra League workers dispersed the attackers following a chase and counter chase, which left five protesters injured.
B'BARIA
Hartal supporters threw bricks on the car carrying local lawmaker RMA Obaidul Muktadir Chowhdury near Kotwali on his way to Brahmanbaria.
Four policemen of Kotwali Police Station were injured in the attack.
The injured are: Officer-in-Charge Gazi Shakhawat Hossain, Sub-Inspector Mizanur Rahman Abdus Salam, Assistant Sub-Inspector Mahfuz and Constable Taslim.
FARIDPUR
Police detained 15 people in Faridpur sadar, Nagarkanda and Bhanga upazilas after a series of clashes with the pro-hartal activists.
Fifteen people, including 10 policemen, were injured during the clashes.
Noor-e-Alam, OC of Faridpur Sadar Police Station, was among the wounded.
Police charged batons on the pickets when they besieged Nagarkanda Police Station after the law enforcers stopped them from blocking a road.
The demonstrators set fire to a police van.
FENI
Police rounded up two pickets for vandalising at least 20 buses, a truck, and an auto-rickshaw at Mohammad Ali Bazar in Dattasar, Fatehpur Starline filling station, and establishments in Dula Mia crossing and Palli Bidyut office area, and on Shahid Shahidullah Kaiser Road.
MOULVIBAZAR
Teachers and students of Baruna Madrasa put a barricade with benches on Moulvibazar-Dhaka highway at Bhairabganj and started reciting from the Quran in the morning.
When police asked them to leave, they attacked police with wooden sticks, prompting the latter to fire rubber bullets.
Three people, including Assistant Superintendent of Police Alamgir Hussain, were injured.
KHULNA
Pro-hartal activists damaged two BRTC buses and six rickshaws on PTI Road in the town.
The pickets, carrying wooden sticks, were passing by the area with a procession when they made the attack.
Hartal Against Women Policy
Pickets on the rampage
At least 120 buses vandalised, 250 injured
Left: Activists of Islamist groups carry the Quran underneath their outer garments during the hartal yesterday. This was the first time the holy book was used during any demonstration, with a possible intention that the Quran might be desecrated in the event of scuffles with the police who would then be blamed for the desecration. The photo was taken at Shanti Nagar in the capital. Right: A member of an Islamist group kicks a policeman hard during the hartal yesterday. Photo: Palash Khan
Staff Correspondent The general strike enforced yesterday by Islamic activists ended through violence in the capital and other cities leaving over 250 people, including 16 policemen, injured and 200 detained.
Islamic Ain Bastabayan Sangstha, a group linked to a faction of Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) and led by Fazlul Huq Aminee, called the dawn-to-dusk nationwide strike. The group is campaigning against the government's newly-announced National Women Policy.
Aminee and his supporters insist that the policy has provisions that go against the principles of the holy Quran. The government denies the allegation saying the policy reflects the constitutional provision of ensuring equal rights to women and ending all disparity against them.
Women rights groups have backed the government urging an early implementation of the policy announced on March 8.
The protesters yesterday draped themselves with white clothes symbolising shrouds and carried copies of the holy Quran as they clashed with the law enforcers. Such use of the holy book during a protest provoked indignation of many.
Meanwhile, a major violence took place in Chittagong. Pickets vandalised over 100 buses and set fire to a petrol pump in the port city.
Schools and many shops remained closed in the capital yesterday. Although buses, private cars and other vehicles were seen running in numbers in many parts of the city, traffic was thin in Shanti Nagar-Paltan-Gulistan areas, where much of the city's violence occurred.
Hartal supporters attacked vehicles of ruling party lawmakers in Chandpur and Brahmanbaria. Lawmakers Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir and RMA Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury of Chandpur-1 and Brahmanbaria-3 constituencies, however, escaped unhurt.
Aminee, also chief of IOJ -- a component of four-party alliance led by main opposition BNP, claimed that police arrested 315 of his supporters while more than 200 were injured. He had earlier threatened to burn the country in an hour in the event of the court verdict on fatwa going against them. At a press briefing yesterday evening, he declared a fresh protest programme.
In Dhaka, pickets, mostly madrasa students, clashed with law enforcers in Shanti Nagar, Paltan, Dainik Bangla, Press Club, Mirpur section-10, Mohammadpur, Lalbagh and Demra areas leaving around 100 injured. Police detained 120 people.
The law enforcers used rubber bullets and hurled teargas canisters to disperse the pickets attacking with brickbats and bamboos. Chases and counter chases took place.
Police detained 65 persons from Paltan, six from Mirpur and 15 from Demra. At least 50 people were injured in the clashes at Signboard area in Demra.
Gazi Mozammel Huq, deputy commissioner (Wari Zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said the clash in Demra erupted around 11:00am when police resisted teachers and students of Kawmi Madrasa from vandalising vehicles.
CHITTAGONG
Around 2,000 pro-hartal activists attacked a convoy of around 400 buses carrying devotees from different parts of the country to Maizbhandar Sharif (a shrine) in Fatikchhari upazila around 12:30pm. The pickets vandalised over 100 buses, reports our Chittagong correspondent.
Nine people, including a policeman, were injured in the incident. Five of them were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital while the rest to Hathazari upazila health complex.
The protesters also set fire to Sheuli Petrol Pump in the area. On information, firemen rushed to the spot and doused the flames around 1:00pm.
Vehicular movement in Hathazari area remained suspended till 4:30pm yesterday as students of Darul Ulm Moinul Islam Madrasa blocked roads. Pickets also put a barricade on Chittagong-Cox's Bazar highway in Patiya upazila in the morning.
CHANDPUR
Pro-hartal activists attacked the motorcade of Awami League lawmaker MK Alamgir at the district's Kochua around 12:00 noon.
Alamgir escaped the attack unhurt.
The pickets vandalised six vehicles of the motorcade and a filling station.
Bangladesh Chhatra League workers dispersed the attackers following a chase and counter chase, which left five protesters injured.
B'BARIA
Hartal supporters threw bricks on the car carrying local lawmaker RMA Obaidul Muktadir Chowhdury near Kotwali on his way to Brahmanbaria.
Four policemen of Kotwali Police Station were injured in the attack.
The injured are: Officer-in-Charge Gazi Shakhawat Hossain, Sub-Inspector Mizanur Rahman Abdus Salam, Assistant Sub-Inspector Mahfuz and Constable Taslim.
FARIDPUR
Police detained 15 people in Faridpur sadar, Nagarkanda and Bhanga upazilas after a series of clashes with the pro-hartal activists.
Fifteen people, including 10 policemen, were injured during the clashes.
Noor-e-Alam, OC of Faridpur Sadar Police Station, was among the wounded.
Police charged batons on the pickets when they besieged Nagarkanda Police Station after the law enforcers stopped them from blocking a road.
The demonstrators set fire to a police van.
FENI
Police rounded up two pickets for vandalising at least 20 buses, a truck, and an auto-rickshaw at Mohammad Ali Bazar in Dattasar, Fatehpur Starline filling station, and establishments in Dula Mia crossing and Palli Bidyut office area, and on Shahid Shahidullah Kaiser Road.
MOULVIBAZAR
Teachers and students of Baruna Madrasa put a barricade with benches on Moulvibazar-Dhaka highway at Bhairabganj and started reciting from the Quran in the morning.
When police asked them to leave, they attacked police with wooden sticks, prompting the latter to fire rubber bullets.
Three people, including Assistant Superintendent of Police Alamgir Hussain, were injured.
KHULNA
Pro-hartal activists damaged two BRTC buses and six rickshaws on PTI Road in the town.
The pickets, carrying wooden sticks, were passing by the area with a procession when they made the attack.
