Monday, March 4, 2013

Hartal Update Day 1 : 03.02.13

Today was the first day of a nationwide strike called by opposition party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in protest of the 'genocide' carried out by state security forces last Friday throughout Bangladesh where more than 70 people were reported killed when protests spread throughout the country against the death sentence handed down to popular Islamic preacher and Naib-e-Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Allama Delwar Hossain Sayedee. At least 26 people including women and children have been confirmed dead in the clashes between pro-strike Sayedee supporters and the security forces. 
A dead female protester being carried away by police, Source: Facebook page Basherkella

Among the dead, 12 of the activists including 4 women are from Bogra, 6 including women and children are from Rajshahi, 6 are from Joypurhaat, 2 are from Shatkhira, 1 person from Gazipur and one police constable from Jhenaidah. 50 more people have been reported bullet ridden and 15 of them are said to be in critical condition.  

Bogra:
Witnesses say that at 4 am on Sunday, thousands of pro-hartal activists and Sayedee supporters poured onto the streets towards Bogra city with slogans of "We want Sayedee free". Police, in an effort to obstruct the procession and contain the situation, opened fire. Nine people were reported dead immediately.

The martyred were identified as Regina Begum, Munzila Khatun, Babu Miah, Abdur Rahman, Dulu Miah, Ziaur Rahman (39) and an unidentified protester who was later identified as Badol, son of Aftab Ahmed of Joypurpara. Some of the bullet ridden protesters succumbed to their injuries after being taken to the hospital. They included Asia Begum, Aklima Khatun and Abdus Shahid.

Angry protesters set fire to six police establishments and surrounded four police stations. The local administration imposed section 144 to limit any public gatherings and at 8 am the army had to be deployed in and around Shahjahanpur thana at Bogra to protect public property, an arena the police had failed miserably in.

Rajshahi:
On the first day of the nationwide strike in Rajshahi, 4 people were killed due to brutal police action on a procession at Godagari where 5 more were bullet ridden. The four martyred include Maulana Sahibur (45), Rafiqul (13), Imam of Mahishalhaat Jaame Masjid Imam Mujahid (48) and three others including an unidentified woman aged around 27 and a child.

Joypurhat:
Clashes occurred in waves between protesters and police occurred when the former tried to create road blockades while picketing during hartal. Six people lost their lives and at leastr 20 were bullet injured in these clashes.

The martyred include Mojidul Haque (27), Nasir Uddin (25), Abdul Hakim (26), Forman Ali (29), Mojnu (28) and Hesab uddin (32)

Shatkhira
At Satkhira, cop-activist clashes left 2 dead and 6 wounded and critically injured. A 12 year old child class 5 at Roichpur Government Primary School, Shohag , son of Abdus Sobur from Roichpur village and Jamaat activist Mahbubur Rahman (42), died when BGB along with police opened fire at protesters there. 

Jhenaidah and Gazipur:
At Harinakundu upazila of Jhenaidah, a police constable Omar Faruk died in clashes with Jamaat and Shibir activists at around 11 am. 30 people along with 8 policemen were injured in the clashes. In Gazipur, Shibir president of Shreepur upazila, Abdur Razzak (32) was martyred in clashes while picketing during hartal. 

Source: RTNN news report

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