A Z M Nasir, a leader of the ruling Awami League's Chittagong city unit, was arrested by Dhaka Metropolitan Police from a hotel at Topkhana Road in Dhaka around 1:10 am yesterday.

A former central committee vice president of AL's student front Bangladesh Chhatra League, he was wanted in seven criminal cases including that of a triple murder in which a doctor was also killed. The incident took place on October 18 1993 at Chittagong Medical College

Acting on a tip-off. a team from Ramna police station arrested Nasir from Hotel De Palace where Nasir was staying for the last few days,

Nasir was produced in the CMM's court yesterday and was later sent to Dhaka Central Jail. Meanwhile, activists of Chhatra League in Chittagong brought out a series of processions to protest the arrest, according to our Chittagong Correspondent.

BCL (Nasir faction) called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the port city today demanding immediate release of Nasir.

The BCL activists held protest rallies and put up barri-

cades on roads at Anderkilla. New Market crossing, medical crossing, Muradpur and Sher Shah Road from 10 am to noon. They also burnt tyres and damaged some passing vehicles at these places, witnesses said.

Traffic movement was restored after police removed barricades.

Additional police force has been deployed at all important points of the city to foil any attempt of violence.