BartaBangla Report :: An activist of Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, was killed and several including a TV journalist were injured during violent clashes with police in the capital early Wednesday, the second day of Jamaat’s countrywide 48-hour non-stop hartal. Witnesses and locals claimed the deceased, Khalilur Rahman, 22, president of the city’s 88-ward unit of Shibir, was killed when police fired live shots on the protesting strikers in front of Dhania AK High School in city’s Jatrabari area.
But police claimed Khalil was run over by a speeding a vehicle. No independent confirmation was available immediately.
During the running violence, at least 15 people, including on-duty Bangla Vision TV cameraman Jahirul Islam Joni, were injured, mostly in police tear gas and firing.
The incident occurred around 7:00am when a group of Shibir activists brought out a procession in support of the shutdown from Dhania AK High School in Jatrabari, witnesses said.
At one stage, they blasted several crude bombs and started vandalizing some vehicles in the area. In response, police charged batons and fired several rounds of bullet to disperse the protestors. A chase and counter-chase followed and later critically injured Khalil was found lying on the road in a pool of blood.
He was rushed to Mitford Hospital, Dhaka where attending doctors declared him dead.
In another incident at Moghbazar rail crossing, hartal supporters tried to torch the slippers of the railway track at 7:30am, but police dispersed them.
At 6:40am, Jamaat-Shibir activists also staged street protests at Sayedabad rail crossing in support of the shutdown blasting 3 to 4 crude bombs, causing brief panic among local residents and pedestrians. Police rushed to the scene and dispersed the pickets.
Sporadic hartal violence was also reported from other parts of Bangladesh on the closing day of Jamaat-enforced hartal called to protest against a court order early this month declaring registration of Jamaat as a political party illegal on August 1.
In Bogra, Shibir activists exploded three crude bombs targeting police in front of Mohammad Ali Hospital on the Sherpur Road in the morning. Protestors also staged pro-hartal demonstrations in Khandar, Sabgram Haat and Arulia of Sadar upazila of Bogra district.
In Laxmipur, hartal supporters blocked a key road of the district town by placing logs and blasted several crude bombs in the morning. However, anti-hartal activists, including those from local Jubo League, also staged protest marches against Jamaat-Shibir in Alipur and Katakhali areas under Ramganj upazila.
Jamaat called the hartal in protest against what it said the government’s conspiracy to annihilate the party branding it a terror organisation.
The 48-hour shutdown which began Tuesday morning is due to end at Thursday dawn. Earlier Tuesday afternoon confusion arose over reports that Jamaat had shortened the hartal by 12 hours to end Wednesday evening. But it was later denied by the party.
The shutdown, also called to protest alleged government ‘plot to kill Jamaat leaders and foil the next general election,’ was originally scheduled for August 12 and 13. But it was later shifted by one day to August 13 and 14.
An AFP report adds: Secular protesters have long demanded Jamaat be banned for its role in the 1971 war of independence, during which it opposed Bangladesh’s breakaway from Pakistan.
Bangladesh is reeling from deadly violence that broke out after a tribunal hearing war crime charges began handing down sentences against Jamaat’s top leadership.
Several Jamaat defendants have received death sentences. Other party leaders are still on trial for charges including mass murder, rape and religious persecution.
At least 150 people have died in political violence since the start of 2013, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch.