DHAKA: The dawn-to-dusk countrywide hartal called by the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was observed peacefully in the city and other parts of the country on Thursday (October 12).

The party observed the shutdown protesting the arrest and remand of its top leaders, including the party’s ameer, secretary general and nayeb-e-ameer.

The hartal began at 6:00 am and ended at 6:00 pm. The party declared the hartal in a statement on Tuesday.

BNP, the key ally of the Jamaat-e-Islami, extended its support to the hartal four hours after the program began.

BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed informed the party’s stance at a press conference at its Nayapaltan central office in the city.

Vehicular movement was seen normal in the capital city during the hartal. Most of the shops, business organizations and educational institutions remained open.

Office-goers were seen heading towards their destinations by buses and other public vehicles.

Law enforcers have been deployed at all key points of the city.

Nine of its members, including Ameer Maqbul Ahmad, Nayeb-e-ameer Mia Ghulam Parwar, Secretary General Dr Shafiqur Rahman and Chittagong Metropolitan Ameer Mawlana Shahjahan were arrested from a residence in Uttara of the city on Monday.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday placed eight of the arrestees to remand for a total of 10 days in cases filed under the Special Act and Explosives Act.

BDST: 1830 HRS, OCT 12, 2017
EHJ