Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 212 Mon. December 27, 2004  
   
Front Page


50 hurt as police, activists clash during hartal


A dawn-to-dusk hartal passed off yesterday across the country amid sporadic clashes between the police and opposition workers in the capital that left about 50 injured.

Police picked up over 100 opposition activists during the 6:00am to 6:00pm shutdown from different places of the city and elsewhere when they tried to demonstrate on streets.

The main opposition Awami League's (AL) front organisations Awami Jubo League and Bangladesh Krishak League enforced the hartal to protest against the price hike of diesel and kerosene while the AL and its other front organisations extended their support to it.

The strike shut most business establishments, educational institutions and offices. The streets in Dhaka and other major cities and towns were almost empty. However, rickshaws and a few autorickshaws and minibuses were busy.

About 7,000 law-enforcers including riot police and paramilitary BDR members were deployed at different sensitive spots of the capital to maintain law and order.

In Dhaka, the opposition leaders and workers staged demonstrations near Russell Square in Dhanmondi and AL headquarters on Bangabandhu Avenue, and in Muktangon, Motijheel commercial area and old part of the city.

The police put up barbed wire fences on the roads leading to the AL headquarters in the morning and prevented the opposition workers from staging demonstration there. Only senior leaders including Matia Chowdhury were allowed to enter the barricaded area.

AL and its front organisations' men were locked in a clash with police at Chawkbazar in Old Dhaka when police obstructed it and charged it with batons.

At least 15 activists were injured in the baton charge while the opposition men threw brickbats at the police.

Former AL lawmaker Hazi Mohammad Selim led the procession. The police arrested Mohammad Nasir Uddin, president of local ward unit of Jubo League, during the clash.

The law-enforcers chased a procession of Jubo Mahila League near the National Sports Council in Paltan leaving five activists injured. Among them, Mahfuza Akhter Lina was admitted to a private clinic.

Witnesses said the police swooped on the procession when it was marching towards Dainik Bangla intersection at around 10:15am from Bijoynagar. Women police picked up eight Jubo Mahila League activists from the spot.

The police dispersed a Jubo League rally at Muktangan at about 10:30am. The baton-wielding policemen attacked the rally picking up at least 12 activists. They also picked up some passersby after beating them up.

After the police action, the law-enforcers only allowed a few Jubo League leaders including its Chairman Jahangir Kabir Nanak and General Secretary Mirza Azam, MP to sit on the walkway.

Abdul Wadud Khokon, vice president of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), received head injuries when the BCL men and police were locked in a clash on Dhaka University campus at about 11:30 am.

The police used batons to disperse a BCL procession near the Central Library gate.

Another scuffle took place between the police and Jubo Mahila League activists on Road No 15 in Dhanmondi at noon. A number of Mahila League workers lay down on the street to prevent a police jeep while it tried to leave the scene with eight arrested from the spot.

Later, additional female police rushed to the scene and dispersed the agitating women activists by charging batons.

Police also picked up AL central leader Shafi Ahmed in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban in Dhanmondi when he was on the way to join a procession.

Starting from Road no 15 of Dhanmondi, a procession of the AL and its wings in police escort paraded the Mirpur Road and observed a two-hour sit-in at Russell Square.

Former home minister Mohammad Nasim, lawmaker Dr Abdur Razzak and Jubo League leaders advocate Saidur Rahman and Omar Faruk Chowdhury addressed a rally there.

Our staff correspondent from Chittagong adds: The hartal was observed partially in the port city and elsewhere of the district.

In Natore, all sorts of vehicles were found plying the roads after 9.00am. Pickets were not seen on the streets, reports our Natore correspondent.

Our correspondent from Barisal adds: The police chased pro-hartal demonstrators to foil picketing at different places and arrested eight people.

Picture
Opposition Awami League activists lie in front of a police van in an attempt to get released one of their colleagues police earlier picked up from a procession in Dhaka during hartal yesterday. PHOTO: STAR