Jamaat attacks footballers

Supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami which called Thursday’s nationwide daylong shutdown attacked a vehicle of Muktijoddha Sangsad Krira Chakra at Dhanmondi in Dhaka on Wednesday, leaving several footballers injured.

“The attack on our bus was made on our way to the club after a match of Under-16 Football Tournament at Motijheel,” Shafiul Islam Manik, coach of the football club, told bdnews24.com.

“The attackers were chanting slogans in support for the shutdown,” the former national footballer added.

The Jamaat called the Thursday strike, which coincides with the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1’s scheduled pronouncement of verdict in the case against its leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee over crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.

Manik, also former Bangladesh national football team captain, said the attack left the front and rear glasses of the bus broken.

He said the attackers also beat up several players with sticks.

Manik demanded exemplary punishment to the attackers.

Meanwhile, a human hauler was also set on fire by some unknown miscreants in the same area.

Dhanmondi Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Anwar Hossain said the incident occurred around 7pm.

The police official blamed pro-shutdown activists for torching the vehicle.