DHAKA: The dawn-to-dusk hartal, called by main opposition BNP observed in three districts and five upazilas of three other districts of the country on Saturday amid stray incidents of arson and blast.
The party called the shutdown in five districts in protest against arresting top five BNP leaders on Friday night while a faction of Khagrachhori BNP called hartal in the district protesting the hindrance in paying homage to Ziaur Rahman on November 7.
Our Feni correspondent reports: At least 15 pedestrians were injured in a cocktail explosion in Daganbhuiyan upazila of the district during BNP’s dawn-to-dusk hartal.
Pickets vandalized more than 100 vehicles at bazaars in Sadder, Cilonia and Tulatoli areas of the upazila at around 7:00am.
Protesters blasted 30/32 cocktails in separate places of Daganbhuiyan bazaar, leaving 15 passers-by injured.
Our Pabna Correspondent reports: District BNP men brought out protest procession in the district town at around 7:45am while Chhatra Dal men blacked roads in town’s Mujaheed club area at around 8:00am.
In Bhola: District BNP observed dawn-to-dusk hartal in the district town protesting the cordon of Khaleda Zia’s office and the arrest of three members of its standing committee.
In Comilla: The dawn–to-dusk hartal, called by Homna and Titas upazila units of BNP, observed in the upazilas amid stray incidents of picketing.
They called the general strike for protest the arrest of Comilla-2 constituency MP MK Anwar.
In Noakhali: Companiganj and Kabir hat upazila units of BNP observed a day long hartal in the respective upazila on Saturday for protesting the arrest of former MP Barrister Moudud Ahmed.
In Khagrachhori: A half day hartal, called a faction of district BNP observed in the district protesting the hindrance in paying homage to Ziaur Rahman on November 7.
Allude to on Friday night, Detective Branch (DB) police arrested BNP standing committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed, MK Anwar, Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia, BNP chairperson’s advisor Abdul Awoal Pintu and personal assistant Shimul Biswas.
BDST: 1800 HRS, NOV 09, 2013
GR/JCK
