Lukewarm response to Jamaat strike

The dawn-to-dusk nationwide strike called by Jamaat-e-Islami began on Thursday amidst strict security measures on a day a war crimes tribunal is expected to deliver its verdict on the party's top leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee.

The ‘Ganajagaran Mancha’ of Shahbagh that is campaigning for death penalty for all convicted 'war criminals', has asked the people to come out on the streets and foil the strike.

Heavy deployment of police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) could be seen on the streets of Dhaka, reported bdnews24.comCorrespondents. The area where the war crimes tribunals function was wrapped under a tight security blanket since Wednesday.

Apart from two incidents of vandalism in the capital’s Jatrabari and Mirpur in the early hours of the strike, no major incident of violence has been reported so far.

Some locally-made bombs were lobbed from a procession of strike supporters at Dhaka’s Rajarbagh area around 7:00am. Six people were nabbed from the scene, police said.

Strike supporters attempted to set a vehicle on fire in Shanir Akhra area of capital’s Jatrabari around the same time. Locals nabbed one Shibir activist and handed him over to police, said Jatrabari Police Station Sub-Inspector Abdul Momin.

The strike supporters also exploded several crude bombs at Kamalapur-Motijheel area after 8:30am, reported bdnews24.com Correspondent. No one was nabbed.

Rickshaws and auto-rickshaws were seen plying on Dhaka's streets. Some private cars and buses were seen moving.

bdnews24.com Correspondents have been to Gabtali, Mirpur-1, Mirpur-12, Pallabi, Shewrapara, Kazipara, Farmgate, Mohakhali, Asad Gate, Mogbazar and other Dhaka areas since morning.

They found less than usual crowd of office goers, but BRTC buses were seen plying the streets.

All trains from Kamalapur Railway Station arrived and left on time, said the station’s Station Master Sakhawat Hossain.

Long route bus services were grounded at Sayedabad and Mohakhali terminals. But a few of those hit the streets from Gabtoli, ticket counter officials said.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were seen patrolling some areas of Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar since Wednesday evening. Police officials said any attempt to foment trouble will be strongly dealt with.

But despite such measures, some hand-made crude bombs were lobbed from a speeding microbus in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area adjacent to the area’s police station on Wednesday night.

Strike supporters also damaged a ‘Muktijoddha Shangshad Krira Chakra’ microbus on Wednesday evening at Dhanmondi 12/A. Several footballers were injured at the time.

The club’s coach, Shafiqul Islam told bdnews24.com shutdown supporters appeared from opposite the ‘Abahani Field’ raising slogans. They attacked several footballers and damaged the bus.

In the night, two human haulers were set on fire in Mirpur 10 and Dhanmondi 12/A around 10:30pm.

A truck was set on fire at Chittagong’s Export Processing Zone (EPZ) area in the night. Police nabbed one Shibir man from the place of the incident.

ICT-1 on Wednesday confirmed it would deliver the verdict on Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee on Thursday. Within an hour of the announcement, Jamaat called the strike, demanding his release.

Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations due on Thursday were postponed to Mar 8, said Ministry of Education’s spokesman Subodh Chandra Dhali.

Meanwhile, the Honours 2nd year-2011 examination and MSc in Computer Science examination under National University scheduled for the date was postponed to Mar 1.

In its first verdict since formation on 2010, ICT-2 gave death penalty for the absconding former Jamaat activist Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar on Jan 21.

The second verdict of ICT-2 gave life sentence to Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Abdul Quader Molla on Feb 5. The country erupted in protests and thousands have been gathering at Shahbagh to continue to demand death for all convicted 'war criminals'.

Seven other Jamaat leaders including Jamaat Guru Ghulam Azam and present Chief Matiur Rahman Nizami are facing trials on similar charges.

Amidst the ongoing Shahbagh protests, the government amended the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act of 1973 this month to ensure that prosecution could appeal against Molla's verdict for a harsher punishment. The amendment also provides for bringing an organisation to trial for crimes against humanity during the 1971 liberation war.

Meanwhile, Shahbagh protestors stayed vigilant overnight after calls from the Motijheel rally of the 'Ganajagaran Mancha" on Wednesday. Scores of people were also seen gathering since morning to join the Mancha's procession to foil the strike.

Imran H Sarkar on Wednesday had said they did not want to pressurise the government, but added that the trial takes into account the popular emotions.

“Support the mass demands… Don’t be confused… Do not be afraid,” he said.

He had urged for law amendments to keep ‘anti-liberation forces’ out of the parliament.

Calls were also made to bring down any institutions, roads, schools named after those ‘anti-liberation forces’.

Jamaat-e-Islami had also called a shutdown on the day the verdict was delivered against their Assistant Secretary General Abdul Quader Molla on Feb 5. They had threatened of a ‘civil war’ the day before.