Jamaat-enforced hartal passes off in Rajshahi div

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Dhaka, Feb 20 (UNB) – The daylong hartal enforced by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami protesting the arrest of its Rajshahi city unit ameer Ataur Rahman passed off almost peacefully in six districts of Rajshahi division on Wednesday.

In Rajshahi, the presence of busses on the city roads was thin but the movement of CNG-run auto-rickshaws and rickshaws was normal. No long route buses left the city. Most of the shops remained open in the city during hartal hours.

Huge law enforcers were seen patrolling the streets at all the key points to maintain the law and order.

Hartal supporters made attempts to stage demonstrations by torching tyre at the key points but failed as police obstructed them. They also tried to bring out processions that police foiled.

In Chapainawabganj, the activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat, staged demonstrations torching tyres in different areas, including Shah Neyamatullah College intersection in the Sonamasjid land port, at about 7 am.

Pickets vandalised a motorcycle at Shibtala intersection of the district town.

Most of the shops remained closed in the town and almost all modes of vehicles except battery-run Easy Bike and CNG-run auto-rickshaws stayed off the streets.

Earlier, police arrested nine Jamaat-Shibir men from different areas of the district on Tuesday night, on the eve of the shutdown.      

In Natore, the pro-hartal activists blocked the Natore–Dhaka Highway in Gazirbeel area of the district and staged demonstrations burning tyres in the morning.

Later, they fled the scene after police went there. All modes of vehicles except long route buses were seen plying the streets.

In Pabna, the Shibir activists vandalised some shops and vehicles in the district town. Police arrested nine Shibir activists from different places.

No major incidents were reported from Naogaon and Sirajganj districts. Two other districts of the division-- Bogra and Joypurhat – remained out of the purview of the shutdown.

Jahangir Alam, assistant general secretary of the Rajshahi city unit of Jamaat, announced the shutdown in a press statement after Rapid Action Battalion arrested the party’s Rajshahi city ameer Ataur Rahman from Kalyanpur bus stand in the capital on Tuesday afternoon.