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From New Nation Online Edition Front Page The Awami League-led 14-party alliance will observe countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal today demanding cancellation of the appointment of two new Election Commissioners and resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Justice MA Aziz.
These two districts have come under the hartal-moratorium as per decision of the local units of the 14-party alliance, sources close to the central leaders said yesterday. Meanwhile, at least 70 persons were injured in the capital last afternoon in separate clashes between the pro-hartal activists and law enforcers. Of them nearly 50 Awami League (AL) activists, three photojournalists, three police personnel and passers by. The injured includes City AL General Secretary Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, former AL lawmaker Haji Selim and photojournalists Indrajit of The New Age, Jiban Ashish of Focus Bangla and Julhas of The Independent and a police Sub-Inspector. Witnesses said the Bangabandhu Avenue AL headquarters was the main point of the clashes. The clash at Bangabandhu Avenue erupted at around 4:30pm and continued till 6:00pm that ensued when opposition activists started pelting brickbats at police when the latter tried to prevent two groups of pro-hartal activists from proceeding further. Police charged batons and fired several teargas shells to disperse the angry opposition activists. Police personnel also hurled some teargas canisters inside the AL office as the protesters took shelter in the four-story building. The law enforcers were also seen exchanging brickbats with the AL activists. City AL alleged that hundreds of policemen in full riot gear kept the office of the main opposition party and the surrounding areas cordoned off to obstruct processions and stopped movement of vehicles through the busy Gulistan Crossing. The party said that the clash ensued when AL workers led by Dhaka City AL Organising Secretary Haji Selim tried to bring out a procession from the party office to drum up support for the dawn-to-dusk hartal. Witnesses said, the angry opposition activists pelted police with brickbats and burnt motor tires in the troubled areas after being beaten up by the law enforcers. This created enormous sufferings to the general public, they added. An AL handout alleged that police also entered in the central office several times, hurled teargas and clubbed its workers “indiscriminately”. However, no opposition activist was arrested during the clash. AL General Secretary and Coordinator of the alliance, Abdul Jalil, MP, and other opposition leaders condemned the police actions in separate statements issued last night. In the meantime, the pro-Islamic Zakar Party led by Mostafa Amir Faisal, the son of Pir of Atrashi, yesterday expressed total support for today’s hartal. Earlier, senior leaders of the opposition alliance yesterday at a meeting urged the people to make the hartal a success. AL General Secretary and Coordinator of the alliance, Abdul Jalil, MP, presided over the meeting, which was held at the Bangabandhu Avenue AL headquarters. Talking to journalists after the meeting, Jalil said Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and AL President Sheikh Hasina would give an important announcement from a public meeting in the capital tomorrow. The meeting will be held at the Paltan Maidan in the afternoon when Parliament will go into its Winter Session. He said the 14-party alliance was taking massive preparations across the country to make its February 5 “March towards Dhaka” a success. © Copyright 2003 by ittefaq.com |
