Law enforcers arrested dozens of opposition men and mobile courts jailed several persons on charges of attacking vehicles and disrupting public life on the last day yesterday of the 36-hour countrywide hartal called by the BNP-led opposition.
The nationwide hartal or general strike enforced by BNP and its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami to press for continuation of the constitutional provision of holding parliamentary elections under a caretaker government passed off without any major violence.
Both the parties yesterday simultaneously announced a two-day demonstration from tomorrow protesting arrest and punishment of party workers in summary trials by mobile courts, and demanding release of the arrested.
Demonstrations will be staged in the capital tomorrow and across the country the following day.
Announcing the BNP programme at a press briefing at its central office, acting Secretary General of the party Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir threatened to announce more agitation programmes.
He alleged that police arrested more than 100 party workers and leaders including lawmaker Harunur Rashid and former lawmaker Nazimuddin Alam, and mobile courts jailed at least 60 people in the capital yesterday.
However, the two lawmakers were released from Cantonment Police Station later at night, UNB adds.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Masudur Rahman said they arrested seven persons, and mobile courts jailed four persons.
Their jail terms ranged from one month to one year.
The Jamaat programme was announced by acting Secretary General ATM Azharul Islam at a press briefing at the party central office at Moghbazar.
Meanwhile, the ruling Awami League has asked the main opposition BNP to refrain from taking up any more tough programmes like hartal for the sake of the national economy.
“Please give up calling hartal, come to parliament. We are ready to discuss with you [opposition] to resolve the caretaker government issue,” AL Joint Secretary General Mahbubul Alam Hanif said at a press briefing yesterday at the party president's political office at Dhanmondi.
But Fakhrul said, “First the government must cancel its decision to scrap the caretaker government system, and only then we can sit for talks.”
He claimed people spontaneously made the 36-hour hartal a success while Hanif claimed people rejected the opposition programme.
Recently, the Supreme Court voided the caretaker government system but suggested holding two more parliamentary polls under a non-partisan caretaker government.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the opposition to return to parliament with its formula for caretaker government.
But Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia said there is no scope for discussion as continuation of the 13th amendment to the constitution (providing for caretaker system) is the only solution.
On the second day of the shutdown yesterday, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and private cars plied many streets. Other motorised vehicles started operating in most of the areas around noon.
Pickets set fire to three passenger buses at Joarshahara, Banani and Mirpur. A cocktail was exploded at Doyel Chattar that left three persons injured.
Shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed.
Law enforcement personnel were deployed at different strategic points.
The opposition men could not bring out processions due to the presence of a large number of police and Rab personnel on the main streets.
Like on Sunday, BNP leaders and activists, including Mirza Fakhrul gathered in front of the party's Naya Paltan central office, but they could not bring out any procession as police kept the office cordoned off.
Police arrested lawmaker Harunur Rashid and former lawmaker Nazimuddin at the gate of party office where they were sitting.
In the port city of Chittagong, the hartal hampered loading, unloading and movement of cargo to and from the port. Police picked up at least 21 opposition men from different points of the city.
In the capital, on behalf of the BNP chairperson and the party, Mirza Fakhrul thanked people for making the hartal a success.
Bitterly criticising the government for jailing opposition workers through mobile courts, he said it is absolutely a violation of law and human rights. “We will face it both legally and politically,” he added.
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