Dhaka, Feb 12 - Key Awami League leaders Begum Matia Chowdhury, Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Ahsanullah Master, MP were seriously wounded in police actions as the Awami League-sponsored hartal disrupted normal life and businesses across the country today.
Witnesses and hospital sources said scores of opposition activists were injured and dozens others picked up during sporadic clashes between police and pickets at different strategic points in the capital during the shutdown marked by baton charges and firing of teargas shells.
Awami League enforced the dawn-to-dusk hartal from 6 am as part of its one-point oust-government movement after expiry of its one-month ultimatum over its 15-point demand relating to widespread terrorism, corruption, price-hike and repression.
Shops, schools, business centres and private offices were closed and automobiles went off the roads responding to the shutdown.
Attendance in government offices was thin and commercial banks were open but transaction was insignificant. Witnesses said riot police charged batons to disperse brick-throwing pickets near the Awami League head office, Dhaka University, uptown Mirpur and Dainik Bangla crossing.
Jatiya Sramik League general secretary Ahsanullah Master, MP and Awami League organising secretary Saber Hossain Chowdhury suffered head injuries from police rifles while they were leading a pro-hartal procession near Dainik Bangla crossing at about 12:30 pm. Both were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
Hospital sources said Ahsanullah Master was given several stitches in his head. Police swung into action when a big procession, led by Saber and Ahsanullah Master, reached Dainik Bangla crossing from Motijheel Shapla Chhatar. Police also fired several rounds of teargas shell to disperse the demonstrators.
Police resorted to severe baton charge on a procession from the Awami League central office under the leadership of Begum Matia Chowdhury, Mohammad Hanif and Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya at about 1:30 pm. Matia and others were seriously beaten up when they tried to bring out the procession breaking the police barbed wire fences. At around 8:30 am, police picked up several Awami League leaders, including Narayanganj district AL president Prof. Nazma Rahman and ex-MP Habibur Rahman Molla, while staging protest in front of Awami League office.
Police and pickets locked in clashes in Mirpur for hours together from morning, leaving many injured. Police also picked up a good number of people from the scene. Police charged batons on Awami League workers who took shelter in former MP Kamal Majumdar’s office, “Mohona.” During the chase and counter-chase, Patrol Inspector Abu Sayeed Khan who was reportedly a heart patient died on way to National Heart Foundation at about 11:30 am.
At Jatrabari point, police charged batons and picked up 16 Awami League workers, including Demra thana president Kazi Maminul Huq and general secretary Harunor Rashid Munna. Police and student activists also clashed with each other in Dhaka University and Shahbag area from where several students workers, including Chhatra League VP Marufa Akhtar Popy were picked up.
Opposition demands
In January the opposition Awami League's leader, Sheikh Hasina, gave the government a month to comply with a list of 15 demands.
Among them were that corruption be tackled and the law and order situation improved.
The government, which defeated the Awami League convincingly in elections in 2001, gave no response.
General strikes, known as hartals, are a frequent tactic of opposition parties in Bangladesh.
How well this one is observed will be a test of the Awami League's support.
The party says this is just the start of a campaign to force the government to step down early.
It is threatening more general strikes in the weeks and months to come.
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