Jamaat strike lukewarm

The first day of Jamaat-e-Islami's three-day general strike to protest against the death verdict of its chief Motiur Rahman Nizami for war crimes has ended without reports of large-scale violence.

Inter-city vehicles operated as usual but long-haul buses did not leave the terminals on Thursday fearing violence.

However, trains, launches and planes ran on time.

Jamaat called for the strikes on Wednesday hours after Nizami was sentenced to death by a special tribunal.

Reports of sporadic violence came in from across Bangladesh amid tight security and ruling Awami League's marches opposing the strike.

Police have reportedly detained about 150 strikers but Jamaat claims the number is over 600.

It alleged at least 150 of its activists have been injured in police firing, but the claim could not be verified.

Strikers torched a vehicle and exploded several improvised bombs in Dhaka. Police foiled several attempts by Jamaat and its student front, Islami Chhatra Shibir, to take out marches.

Jamaat and Shibir activists clashed with police in Rajshahi and Rangpur for a second day. They hurled bombs at a police van in Bogra, a stronghold of Jamaat's key ally BNP.

Police fired in the air in Gaibandha when Jamaat and Shibir activists tried to put up barricades on a road.

Strikers also tried to create panic in Barisal, Chandpur and Lakshmipur by burning tyres on the roads and exploding crude bombs.

In Dhaka, they torched a vehicle minutes after the party called for the shutdown at Jatrabarhi. Another bus was set on fire at Shyampur on Thursday as well.

Suspected Jamaat and Shibir activists detonated five handmade bombs at Paltan intersection but police could not detain anyone over the incident.

In the morning, elite police unit RAB recovered eight abandoned crude bombs from Hazaribagh.

Several suspected strikers were detained from Lalbagh and Mirpur as well.

Jamaat's acting Secretary General Shafiqur Rahman in a statement levelled charges of torture and repression against police.

He claimed the government had committed "crimes against humanity" by "depriving the injured treatment and obstructing doctors in discharging their duties".

"The government will not be able to stay in power by carrying out torture, repression, mass arrest and murder," he said.