An Islami Chhatra Shibir leader was killed, about 50 people, including a journalist, were injured and 100 arrested across the country on Wednesday -the second day of 48-hour hartal called by Jamaat-e-Islami.
The student leader was killed when police chased a group of pickets at Jatrabari in the capital during hartal hours Wednesday morning, police said.
The deceased has been identified, as Khalilur Rahman, 20, President of a ward unit of Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. He was an honours first year student of Bangladesh Islami University and son of Abdul Baten from Santhiya upazila in Pabna.
About 20 Shibir workers brought out a procession near Bright School and College on Dhania Road in Jatrabari and started to vandalise vehicles, said Mazharul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kadamtoli Police Station.
They also exploded several cocktails there, the policeman said. At one stage, police chased the pro-hartal activists. While fleeing the scene, one of the Shibir activists fell on the road and sustained severe head injuries, the OC said.
He was rushed to Mitford Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, the OC added. But, Selina Akhtar, an eyewitness to the incident, claimed that police opened fire into the procession. At one stage of the firing, Khalil fell on the ground, got severe injuries and died, she added.
A cameraman of private television channel Banglavision also sustained injuries during the incident that took place around 7:00am. Adabar police rounded up a picket when he was hurling a cocktail targeting a bus around 8:30am on Shyamoli Ring Road in the city.
Stray violence marked the final day of Jamaat-e-Islami-enforced hartal (shutdown) Wednesday as clashes between the pro-hartal activists and the law enforcers took part in different parts of the country.
Jamaat supporters gave barricades on several roads throughout the country, and blasted 50 cocktails at police.
A Jamaat activist was arrested in Gazipur and 100 others were imprisoned in Satkhira, Rajshahi, Comilla, Sunamganj, Khulna and Brahmanbaria on the charge of picketing and creating violence during hartal hours.
In Gazipur, Jamaat activists brought out a procession in support of hartal at around 10:00am from Hosen Market area in Tongi. As police tried to chase them away, they hurled two cocktails at the law enforcers.
In Rajshahi, around 10-15 pickets blocked the Rajshahi-Naogaon highway by torching bamboo fence and wooden chairs on the street. On information, police dispersed the activists by firing four to five blank shots. In retaliation, the activists blasted four cocktails and ran away, reports our correspondent quoting witnesses.
In Satkhira, pro-hartal activists blocked roads by felling trees at Kadamtola and Bakal of the city. They also blasted 15 cocktails at Kadamtola and Narkeltola from brisk processions.
Police picked up 10 Jamaat-Shibir activists, reported our correspondent quoting Joydeb Chowdhury, Additional Police Super of Satkhira district. In Comilla, at least 18 people were injured as activists of Awami League and Jamaat-Shibir clashed at Fayazganj under Sadar (South) upazila of the city.
Of them, two severely injured workers were whisked off to nearby hospital, reported our correspondent quoting Aynul Haq, Officer in-Charge of Sadar (South) Police Station. The clash began around 9:30am when the AL supporters intercepted a Jamaat-Shibir procession on Fayazganj road.
In Sunamganj, police arrested two local leaders of Jamaat-e-Islam, raiding their houses in sadar upazila of the district early Wednesday. They were identified as Rezaul Karim, President of sadar upazila unit of Jamaat, and Yeasin Ali, Finance Affairs Secretary of the unit.
Our Khulna Correspondent reports, police held six activists of Jamaat-Shibir men from Basupara and Mahir Khalpar area of the divisional city.
In Brahmanbaria, Moniruzzaman, Superintendent of Police of the district told reporters that Police rounded up 11 Jamaat men and among them three were plotting subversive activities."