At least 40 people were injured, 25 In the city, as rival political activists clashed on the third and last day yesterday of the Opposition called 72-hour country-wide hartal.
Police picked up six persons from different parts of the city for picketing.
The hartal ends at six Illis । morning. Awami League. ' l.niva Party and Jamaat-e-Is-lam called the hartal de-n. aiding immediate resigna-I Hon of the Prime Minister. । holding of elections under a 1 caretaker government and cancelling of the eleciions schedule.
Some 25 people Including
two policemen and a photojournalist of a Bengali daily were injured in a gun fight between the activists of BNP and Awami League at Abul Hasnat road in Lalbagh in the city around 2 pm.
The clash which lasted for about two hours from noon ensued when some Awami League activist* reportedly stopped a rickshaw carrying a local BNP leader. The clash soon spread in the area and rival activists traded gun shots and exploded homemade bombs. Some shops adjacent to the Central Jail were also ransacked and looted. Police lobbed tear gas shells and resorted to baton charge to quell the clash.
Jubo League and BNP workers also clashed at Ku-tubkhali under Demra thana at about 10 am. which left two people injured. Jatiya Party activists also clashed with police at Shanir Akhra under the same thana at around 8:45 am. At least three persons were rounded up by Demra police from the area.
A few home-made bombs were exploded at a Jamaat-e-Islami procession near Saudia Market at Farmgate in the city leaving at least four persons Injured. One Jainal Abedin who was injured In the head there was admitted to the Ibne Sina Hospital.
Pickets damaged an autorickshaw of The Bangladesh Times newspaper at Azimpur crossing at around 10:30 am and many rickshaws elsewhere in the city.
In Mohakhali women activists of Jatiya Party clashed with the women police who went into action to quell a brawl between two police rival factions during a rally.
Train communication was disrupted for the third day yesterday. Barricades were put up at Sreepur. Dewan-ganj. Islampur Bazar and Me-landah Bazar on the Dhaka-J.unalpur rail track and at Hasanpur, Kanchannagar and Patiya on the Dhaka-Chittagong Une.
Inter-district road communication also remained totally disrupted. Domestic and international flights wi re also partially disrupted.
Our Rajshahi correspondent reported that seven persons were injured when Awami League and BNP activists clashed in the city during the hartal hours
yesterday. Houses of two local leaders of BNP were also ransacked after the clash. Hartal was observed by and large !■< a efully in the district.
Our correspondent from Chittagong reported that pickets set a rickshaw on fire at Jamal Khan Road, besides damaging few others elsewhere in the city. Delivery of goods to and from Chittagong port was suspended for the third day yesterday.
Our Sylhet correspondent reported that chase and counter chase between the law enforcing personnel and the pickets in the city marked yesterday's hartal in the town. A number of rickshaws were also damaged. Habiganj and Sunamganj district headquarters remained unruffled by the hartal call.
Our correspondent from Barisal reported that the STOL services of Aero Bengal and Bangladesh Biman remained suspended yesterday. The third day of the hartal passed off by and large peacefully in the six southern districts under the Barisal division.