Jamaat’s hartal largely ignored

The countrywide dawn-to-dusk general strike called by the Jamaat-e-Islami was largely ignored on Wednesday.
All offices, educational institutions, business establishments, shops, markets remained open as usual.
Traffic was almost normal as all modes of vehicles were seen in the streets, roads and highways across the country. Highway buses, however, started day’s operations at about 10:00am, sources at the bus terminals said.
Train, water and air communications remained normal, said officials concerned.
Acting Jamaat amir Moqbul Ahmad called the hartal in a Jamaat release emailed to media houses after the Appellate Division on Tuesday upheld an International Crimes Tribunal judgement that had sentenced Jamaat leader Mir Quasem Ali to death for crimes against humanity committed in Chittagong during the war for independence in 1971.
No picket was seen in the city while abrupt processions of Jamaat men were reported from few places across the country.
Ganajagaran Mancha, a youth-led platform campaigning for capital punishment for all war criminals, however, brought out an anti-hartal procession that paraded different city streets.
Addressing a short rally at Shahbagh, Ganajagaran Mancha spokesperson Imran H Sarker demanded immediate execution of condemned war crimes convicts and ban on Jamaat’s politics.
Members of law enforcement agencies, including police and Rapid Action Battalion, were seen posted at key points in the capital.
A few hours before the hartal, two Shyamoli Paribahan buses were set on fire at Shyamoli CNG Refuelling Station at Savar, on the outskirt of the capital, by unknown miscreants at about 1:30am, said Savar police station sub-inspector Farhad Hossain.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net