Chhatra Sena strike peaceful

A half day strike called by the Islami Front's student affiliate demanding arrest and trial of the killers of party leader Nurul Islam Farooqi has been peaceful so far.

Islami Chhatra Sena (ICS) activists took out processions at the capital's Gendariya, Kalyanpur, Bijoynagar, Mirpur and Motijheel areas around 7.30 am, but the strikers remained peaceful, police said.

City buses and auto-rickshaws were seen plying on the streets of Dhaka, but private transports were much less than usual on the streets.
Office hour traffic was smoother than usual, but office-goers faced difficulties.

Long-haul bus services, however, remained suspended from the city's Sayedabad, Gabtoli and Mohakhali bus terminals since the morning.

"We are not taking any risk. Moreover, there are few passengers. We will wait until 11 am and then decide what to do," Soudia Paribahan's manager Md Baharuddin told bdnews24.com.

Unique Paribahan's manager Abdul Haque said some of their buses are stuck at Cox's Bazar's Chakariya Upazila due to activities by strikers.

He added that none of the buses were damaged but the strikers are not allowing them to ply.

But, passenger ferries from the Dhaka's river port are plying on schedule since Sunday morning, said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority's (BIWTA) inspector ABM Mahmud.

Trains have also left on time from the Kamalapur Railway Station.

Police and para-military units have been deployed in key areas of the city since early morning.

Gendariya Police's sub-inspector Ashiukur Rahman said that they had detained three Chhatra Sena activists from a procession, but let them go after a while.

"We did not stop them as it was a peaceful procession. We are yet to be informed about any untoward incidents," he said.

Chhatra Sena's Dhaka unit General Secretary Imran Hossain Tushar said their activists will gather in front of the National Press Club after taking out processions from different parts of the city.

Meanwhile, ICS activists in Chittagong were also active on Sunday. The port city is considered to be a stronghold of its mother organisation Islami Front.

Islami Front leader and TV show host Nurul Islam Farooqi was murdered at his East Razabazar residence on Aug 27.

He was a presidium member of the party and affiliated with Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and was also the Khatib of High Court Mazar mosque.

According to the victim's family, a woman claiming to be an admirer of Farooqi had come to visit him on Wednesday, hours before he was killed.

On Saturday, police arrested a woman, Mahmuda Khatun and another Shariful Islam from Narayanganj while one 'Yousuf' was arrested from Comilla in connection with the murder.

Mahmuda Khatun has admitted going to Farooqi's home prior to the murder, police said.

Farooqi’s family said after the woman left, two youths came to his house saying they would like to go on Hajj. Six or seven more people forcefully entered the house when the door was opened.

They tied Farooqi’s hands and legs with clothes in his bedroom and killed him before fleeing.