Police, Jamaat clash in Rajshahi, 7 held

Jamaat-e-Islami activists have clashed with police at Rajshahi during the strike called to protest the death sentence awarded to their chief Motiur Rahman Nizami for war crimes.

The activists took out sudden processions and blocked roads by setting fire.

Police arrested the head of Jamaat’s metropolitan unit Ataur Rahman and six other activists of the party and its student front Islami Chhatra Shibir from a pro-shutdown procession at Baghmara.

The activists were demonstrating by setting fire on the streets using petrol in three points of Rajshahi city. They clashed with police at Dingadoba.

“Jamaat-Shibir activists blocked the Hadir Mor setting fire pouring patrol on the street around 7am. They ran away after RAB members went there,” said Boalia Model Police OC Khandaker Noor Hossain.

At Shalbagan, they put tree trunks on the road to block it and demonstrated there around 8am. They also fled after a police team reached the site.

At Tultuliparha of Dingadoba at the city bypass, they set fire using patrol to block the road at 7:30am.

When police reached the site, the demonstrator started pelting brickbats at them, resulting in a clash with the police.

Police fired several rounds of blank shots to disband the group.

Motihar Police OC Alamgir Hossain said Rajshahi city unit chief of Jamaat, Ataur Rahman, was arrested from his home in the early hours of Thursday.

“He was arrested on charges of planning and directing party workers to commit violence.”

Meanwhile, the six arrested at Bagmara were yet to be identified, said OC Abu Obaida Khan.

“They’re all Jamaat-Shibir activists. They were nabbed while planning to stage vandalism from a procession they took out at Bagmara Sadar’s Bhabaniganj.”

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