Bangladesh News

Police action and sporadic clashes marked yesterday’s half-day hartal called by district units of main opposition Awami League (AL) in Nilphamari, Pabna and Sirajganj protesting Tuesday’s police assault on two AL lawmakers — Mohammad Nasim from Sirajganj, and Asaduzzaman Noor from Nilphamari.
In Nilphamari, at least 20 people including a newsman were injured in clashes between Awami League (AL) and BNP activists and police action during the hartal, reports our Nilphamari correspondent.

When a big procession led by district Awami League leaders attacked the BNP office at Poura Market area, fierce clashes between the BNP and AL activists left four BNP activists and a Jubo League leader injured.

As police charged baton, the activists of Awami League and BNP moved away and police took position between them.

After a while, regrouped BNP and Awami League activists broke the police cordon and got locked into clashes. Hit by brickbats, district correspondent of Bangla Vision TV channel Shuvash Biswas and two policemen were injured.

At one stage, police indiscriminately charged baton, injuring 10 to 12 people including BNP and AL activists and passers-by.

Due to the tense situation, the half-day hartal virtually turned into a full day one, as shops, business centres and educational institutions remained closed, presence in the government offices was very thin and coaches did not ply.

Hartal was also observed in all the six upazilas of the district. Kishoreganj upazila unit Chhatra League President Pilot Shah and Jubo League leader Faruk Ahmed were seriously injured in police beating during the hartal.

A large number of police has been deployed at important spots of the tense district town.

Educational institutions and markets remained closed and highway transports suspended during yesterday’s half-day hartal in the district, reports our Pabna correspondent.

Picketers damaged at least 15 vehicles in the district town.

At a meeting in front of the district AL office, the speakers demanded punishment of the policemen responsible for assaulting lawmakers Mohammad Nasim and Asaduzzaman Noor, and over a hundred opposition activists in the capital during the opposition’s PMO siege program on Tuesday.

Our Sirajganj correspondent adds: All modes of transport were off the roads while offices, educational institutions, banks and business establishments remained closed during yesterday’s half-day hartal enforced by the district Awami League.

Additional police forces have been deployed in the town to avert any untoward incident, police said.