Dhaka response to shutdown lukewarm

There has a been tepid response to a dawn-to-dusk general strike jointly called by Islamist parties demanding the arrest of former minister Abdul Latif Siddique for his anti-Hajj remarks.

The shutdown began at 6am on Sunday but no untoward incident was reported from Dhaka. The protesters tried to stage marches but failed to find too many enthusiasts.

Public transport in Dhaka was sparse in the morning but more vehicles hit the road as hours wore on. The number of rickshaws and autorickshaws was normal.

Although no trouble was reported, long-distance buses are not being operated by owners as a precautionary measure.

A large number of police personnel have been deployed at strategic points and Dhaka residents are on their way to work.

The Islamist party supporters tried to bring out processions at Pallabi, in Mirpur, and also in Old Dhaka, but the police dispersed them.

"We are alert. Traffic is more or less normal. Attempts to foment chaos would be foiled,” said a police inspector on duty at Paltan.

Siddique had said in New York on Sept 28 that he was staunchly against Hajj and Tablig. These practices wasted man-hours and money, he had said.

File Photo

His remarks stirred a controversy as they went viral. Several dozen cases were slapped against him, accusing him of hurting religious sentiments.

Under the circumstances, Siddique, then Posts and Telecommunications minister, was first removed from the Cabinet and then from the ruling Awami League’s policy-making body, the Presidium.

The Islamist groups had sent Oct 16 as the deadline for Siddique’s arrest. The time was subsequently extended till Oct 22.

Secretary General of the front, Md Jafarulla, had announced the strike at an event held at the National Press Club after the Oct 22 deadline for arresting Siddique, now in Kolkata, had passed.