Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - The Jamaat-enforced countrywide general strike, generally known as hartal, is progressing amid some stray incidents in the capital and elsewhere on Thursday.
The incidents were reported from the capital’s Postagola, Kazipara and Taltala areas.
The incidents of picketing also reported from Narayanganj, Chittagong, Bogra, Dinajpur and Laxmipur.
In Postagola, the Jamaat-Shibir men set fire to a human hauler around 6:25am, according to reports.
The vehicular movements are thin on the city key streets, as private car owners and others preferred to keep their vehicles in parking areas fearing vandalism.
Huge contingent of police and Rapid Action Battalion personnel were deployed at each and every key points and streets of the capital much earlier the hartal started at 6:00am to maintain the law and order, reports our correspondent.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami called the shutdown on Wednesday demanding the release of top party leaders facing the war crimes trial.
The main opposition BNP Wednesday night however extended its moral support to the hartal.
Thursday, Jamaat is enforcing a half-day hartal in Dhaka and Chittagong and dawn-to-dust shutdown elsewhere in the country.
BBN/SSR/AD-31Jan13-11:50 am (BST)
