Jamaat's 2nd phase hartal underway

The second phase of the countrywide 72-hour hartal, called by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami protesting its ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami's death sentence for his crimes during the Liberation War against Pakistan in 1971, began at 6:00am on Sunday.

The 48-hour shutdown will end at 6:00am on Tuesday.

In Gazipur, the hartal supporters brought out separate processions on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway at Chandana intersection in the morning. 

Jamaat-Shibir men threw brick chips targeting vehicles, damaging windowpanes of a few.

Besides, they blasted a crude bomb in Joydebpur rail gate area.

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed in different parts of the country, including the capital, ahead of the shutdown.

The BGB men alongside members of the law enforcement agencies, including police, started patrolling the city streets on Saturday evening to maintain the law and order.

The first phase 24-hour hartal enforced by Jamaat ended on Friday morning amid poor response.

The city life was largely unaffected as vehicular movement was almost normal.

Hours after the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 condemned Jamaat ameer Nizami to death for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War on Wednesday, the Islamic party announced the 72-hour staggered nationwide shutdown programme.

In a joint statement, Jamaat acting ameer Makbul Ahmed and its acting secretary general Shafiqur Rahman announced the shutdown in two phases-- from 6:00am Thursday to 6:00am Friday and 6:00am Sunday to 6:00am Tuesday.

Adopted from Prothom Alo