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DHAKA: The leaders and activists of Progressive Student Alliance staged several rallies occupying the roads in the capitals’ Shahbagh and Paltan areas, to support the half-day hartal protesting the government’s recent decision of electricity price hike.
Leftist parties called the hartal for half of the day Thursday (November 30).
Witnesses said that protesters were seen marching from Shahbagh intersection to Sheraton hotel, at around 8:00am. The protesters, divided in two groups, took to the streets in Paltan and Jatiya Press Club areas and rounded Dainik Bangla, Gulistan and Kakrail areas.
However, members of law enforcements agencies remained vigilant in different parts of the city including Shahbagh and surrounding areas.
Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Maruf Hossain Sarder said that several protesters carried out rallies but it didn’t cause any disturbances to the commuters and vehicle movement.
“No activities will be allowed that causes public suffering. The whole situation is normal yet”, he added.
However, some 11 protesters who were detained in the morning have been released later, said DMP Motijheel Zone Assistant Commissioner (AC) Md Ariful Islam.
“Law enforcers have been deployed to avoid any untoward incident”, he added.
However, no major pro-hartal demonstrations were marked in Karwan Bazar, Fargate, Asad Gate, Shyamoli, Kalyanpur and the traffic was seen normal as well.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Socialist Party of Bangladesh and the Ganatantrik Bam Morcha have called the hartal, to press the government for picking off from its decision to increase the price of electricity and other daily commodities. BNP also extended its support to the strike.
BDST: 1221 HRS, NOV 30, 2017
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