Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The countrywide dawn-to-dusk strike called by 12 like-minded Islamist parties protesting police obstruction on their program against an anti-Islamic film is progressing without any major incidents of violence Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, police detained 38 activists of the Islamist parties while they were picketing on Dhaka-Chittagong highway in the capital’s Jatrabari area around 6:30am on Sunday.
A police official reportedly said that they detained the teachers and students of Tamirul Millat Madrasa at Mir Hajirbagh as they attacked law enforcers while police tried to resist them from picketing.
A police official was injured during the incident, he added.
On the other hand, police cordoned off the main office of Islami Oikya Jote in the Old Dhaka.
The vehicular movements on the city streets remained quite normal during the strike hours. But the presences of private cars are thin.
Almost all the shopping malls and roadside shops remained closed.
The educational institutions also remained closed.
Additional law enforcers were deployed at different key points in the capital Dhaka including press club, Paltan, Baitul Mukarram and Shahbagh to maintain law and order during the strike hours.
Jafar Ullah Khan, General Secretary of Sammilito Olama Mashayekh Parishad, called the shutdown Saturday following a clash with police as they obstructed the activists to bring out a procession from the Jatiya Press Club protesting the anti-Islamic film.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) imposed a ban on holding rallies in Paltan, Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, Kakrail, Dainik Bangla intersection, Bijoynagar and adjacent areas from 5:00pm Friday till further orders.
BBN/SSR/AD-23Sept12-10:50 am (BST)
