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Mills, factories operate almost normally during hartal hours
1/23/2006
Almost all mills and factories of different industrial areas across the country were in full operation during the hartal, report agencies.
Sporadic violence left over 150 people wounded, some by bullets, across the country during the dawn-to-dusk hartal Sunday enforced by the mainstream opposition.
The hartal paralysed normal life and hampered economic activities and production. Markets and shopping malls kept their shutters down. Educational institutions remained closed.
Government offices contin ued activities with comparatively low attendance. Many private offices and business houses remained closed.
Movement of vehicles in the capital was thin in the morning, but increased as the day proceeded. Inter-district bus communications remained suspended. However, many air passengers, including Hajj pilgrims had to suffer as they could not avail any transport on their return at the airport.
In Jamalpur, gunmen backed by the local chapter of ruling BNP allegedly fired on a pro-hartal procession of Awami League (AL) at Tarakandi in Sarisabari upazila. At least 20 people were wounded, 10 by bullets, during the violence that ensued.
Sarishabari upazila AL claimed that "BNP terrors" launched the gun attack on their procession near Jamuna Fertilizer Factory, but police denied the firing incident. Bullet-struck Gadu, Abdul, Titu, Shamim, Delu, Zaman, Khalil, Likhon, Sujan and Harun, workers of AL, Juba League and Chhatra League, were treated at local clinics.
In the capital, nearly 100 opposition activists were injured and many arrested as riot police clashed with AL activists at different points, including Mohakhali, Mirpur, Paltan and Gulistan.
AL-led 14-party opposition combine enforced the shutdown from 6.0 am to protest the appointment of two Election Commissioners and to demand resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Justice MA Aziz dubbed as partisan.
Witnesses and opposition sources said helmeted police in full riot gear charged baton indiscriminately to disperse the pro-hartal processions led by AL leaders Tofail Ahmed and Dr Iqbal in Mohakhali and Tejgaon areas and Kamal Majumdar in Mirpur.
AL leaders Farooq Khan MP, Subed Ali, Baker Hossain, Shajahan, Maksud, Jamil and former MP Iqbal were among those injured.
Police arrested dozens of activists on charge of violent picketing as they hurled brickbats at police and passing vehicles.
The authorities deployed around 8,000 police and paramilitary BDR personnel at strategic points to maintain order in the capital, as the shutdown came against the backdrop of high political tensions and recent bomb strikes by militants.
Police also clashed with AL workers around the Bangabandhu Avenu and Gulistan square.
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