JHENAIDAH: Bus-Minibus owners association, Traders union, Municipality workers association and a faction of Awami League called off their indefinite hartal in the district hours after it began on Wednesday morning.

Sources said that after a negotiation with local administration in a meeting held at noon, the protesters declared withdrawal of the hartal.

Jhenaidah Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shafiqul Islam, District Superintendent of Police Altaf Hossain, Awami League district general secretary advocate Azizur Rahman and accused of that case central Swecchasebak League joint secretary Saidul Karim Mintu were present in the meeting at the DC office conference room. 

From the morning, they were observing the strike protesting case-filing against Jhenaidah municipality mayor, also central Swechhasebak League joint secretary Saidul Karim Mintu, for his alleged involvement in killing of workers’ leader Abdul Gaffar Biswas. 

However, supporting the hartal, different wings of ruling Awami League brought out processions where activists demanded withdrawal of case against the municipality mayor.

During the hartal, all types of bus services were stopped in various routes of the district, even shops and trade centers remained closed along with educational institutions.

Earlier, Chhatra League, a faction of Juba League and Swechhasebak League called dawn-to-dusk hartal in Jhenaidah for Wednesday while Sramik Oikkya Parishad observed a daylong hartal on Tuesday in the district protesting the killing of Abdul Gaffar Biswas.

Earlier on Monday, Abdul Gaffar Biswas, 43, general secretary of Jhenaidah Bus-Minibus Workers Union, was chopped to death by miscreants in Arappur area of the town.

BDST: 1304 HRS, MAY 07, 2014