JAMAAT’S HARTAL : Life remains almost normal

Traffic movements in major cities were almost normal although presence of cars in the streets was thin and long route buses operated less in number because of shortage of passengers during the general strike on Monday called by the Jamaat-e-Islami.
Jamaat, in a statement, called the daylong general strike after the execution of its secretary general Ali Ahsan Mojaheed in Dhaka central jail on early Sunday for crimes against humanity committed in the 19 War for Independence.
Railway, waterway and airway communications were normal and offices and businesses operated normally, while most of the shops, shopping malls and educational institutions remained open during the hartal hours. Banks transactions were almost normal, although many of them were seen to operate keeping main entrances closed.
Transport operators at Gabtali inter-district bus terminal said that they operated their bus service although they did not get enough passengers.
‘Normally, we operate 12 buses between 7:10am and 2:30pm, but today we have operated two buses because of shortage of passengers,’ said Kazi Badal, Hanif Paribahan manager in charge of Dhaka-Khulna route.
The scene was different at Kamalapur railway station as all scheduled 32 trains were operated almost in time. ‘No train miss its schedule,’ said Kamalapur station master Nripendranath Saha.

Ganajagaran Mancha brings out a procession at Shahbagh in the capital on Monday countering the hartal Jamaat-e-Islami enforced across the country on the day. — New Age photo

The police and paramilitary force took up additional security arrangement to maintain law and order. Police headquarters officials said that all of its units were kept on alert across the country.
Border Guard Bangladesh headquarters officials said that 79 platoons, including 13 in Dhaka, had been on patrol duty since Saturday evening.
Elite force Rapid Action Battalion members were seen patrolling the capital’s strategic points since Saturday night while police were seen frisking people at checkpoints and checking documents of vehicles, especially of motorbikes.
Mojaheed was executed on early Sunday alongside Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Salauddin Quader Chowdhury for crimes against humanity committed in 1971.
Acting Jamaat secretary general Shafikul Islam, in an emailed statement thanked countrymen for ‘supporting’ the dawn-to-dusk hartal.
The party circulated photos claiming that its activists brought out small processions in some major cities and at places in the capital.
The party claimed that processions were brought out at Shahjahanpur, Mirpur, Bangshal, Khilgaon and Jatrabari in the capital and in Comilla and Gazipur, amid strong vigilance of law enforcement agencies.
As of Monday evening, the party statement said that the police arrested 20 of their activities including central committee member Helaluddin, a counsel of Mojaheed, in Dhaka, one in Natore, five in Netrokona, seven in Gazipur, six in Rangpur, two each in Nilphamary, Lalmanirhat and Jhanaidah.

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