A clash occurred between the supporters of Hefazat-e-Islam and Awami League in the city's Gulistan-Paltan area on Sunday noon during the countrywide dawn-to-dusk strike (hartal) enforced by Hefazat protesting police action on their anti-Modi processions in Dhaka, Chattogram and other districts.
The incident occurred around 11:30am today.
Witnesses said a group of Awami League leaders and activists took position at the south of Gulistan's Zero Point area in protest of Hefazat's strike on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, Hefazat supporters around 11am took position at the north side of Zero Point. Both groups then began to make slogans and throw brickbats at each other.
At one point, Hefazat supporters chased Awami League activists out of the area. Awami League activists then move to their party headquarters, only to return later with a bigger force and chase Hefazat men away from the area.
Hefazat retreated to Paltan and took position there.
Later, Hafazat, Awami League, both positioned themselves near the Paltan intersection. Police were seen taking a cautious stand on one side of the road at the time.
In other developments, a small number of buses, private cars were seen plying the streets of the capital on Sunday during the countrywide dawn-to-dusk strike enforced by Hefazat-e-Islam protesting police action on their anti-Modi processions in Dhaka, Chattogram and other districts.
The Hefazat supporters took position on Basila Bridge in the capital’s Mohammadpur area and blocked the road.
Besides, Hefazat activists also brought out a procession in the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque area in support of the strike.
n Narayanganj, some students of Madaninagar Madrasha put up a barricade on Dhaka-Chittagong highway by burning tires from Sanarpar to Shimrail crossing in the morning, disrupting Dhaka’s road communications with Chattogram and Sylhet.
In Sylhet, the activists of Hefajat-e-Islam brought out processions in different parts of the city including the Court point after Fazr prayers.
No long-route buses left the district in the morning.
Chattogram’s road communications with other parts of the country remained suspended since Sunday morning as no long-route bus left Chattogram due to the hartal, reports UNB’s Chattogram correspondent.
Some students of Al Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam madrasha cut roads and created a number of holes on the Chattogram-Khagrachhari highway early Sunday, disrupting communications on the road.
Rajib Sharma, officer-in-charge of Hathazari Police Station, the activists of Hefazat-e-Islam on Saturday blocked Chattogram-Khagrachhari road and set fire on Upazila Duckbanglow in the afternoon.
Two motorbikes kept in the storeroom of the Duckbanglow were gutted.
Besides, additional police and BGB men have been deployed in the Hathazari Bus Stand area.
A small number of rickshaws, CNG run auto-rickshaws and private vehicles were seen plying the Chattogram city roads.
Additional police, Rab and BGB members were seen patrolling in the 14 upazilas of the district to avert untoward incident centring the strike.
Some activists of Hefazat-e-Islam brought out processions at Bakolia, Halishahar in the city and now they are taking position on roads, he said.
Besides, a number of processions were brought out in Patiya, Banshkhali and Fatikchharia upazilas in support of hartal, he added.
Meanwhile, unidentified miscreants set two stationary buses of Bangladesh Road Transport and Corporation (BRTC) on fire at Rajshahi Truck Terminal in the city’s Amchattar area on Sunday during the countrywide daylong strike (hartal) enforced by Hefazat-e-Islam.
Senior Station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defense of Rajshahi Abdur Rauf said the criminals set a bus of BRTC on fire around 6:30 am and the fire spread to another stationary bus of BRTC.
On information, firefighters rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze.
However, no causality was reported till the filing of this report.
Saiful Islam Khan, officer-in-charge of Shah Makhdum Police Station, said police are investigating the incident.
Hefazat-e-Islam announced the day-long countrywide strike at a press briefing at Purana Paltan in the capital on Friday night.
They also held nationwide demonstrations on Saturday.
A clash involving Hefazat supporters and police left four people dead and at least 15 others injured at Hathazari in Chattogram on Friday.
The clash took place when policed opened fire after a group of protestors attacked Hathazari thana compound and Hathazari land office and set fire to a vehicle
In Dhaka, at least 50 people, including several journalists, were injured in a clash between Muslim devotees and police in the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque area Friday afternoon.
Clashes erupted when police barred people from bringing out a procession after Jum’a prayers protesting against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
