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60-hour hartal ends with stray clashes

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
The 60-hour countrywide hartal called by the Awami Legue (AL) and its allies ended at 6:00pm yesterday paralysing life for the third consecutive day and stray incidents of clashes between rival political activists and police baton charge on demonstrators took place in the capital and elsewhere in the country.
The shutdown disrupted economic activities, road communication and train service.
A number of flights were also delayed or suspended due to the hartal.
Police action left dozens injured, including several journalists in Jessore.
In Dhaka, police kept Muktangon cordoned off from morning to afternoon apparently to prevent holding of any opposition rally.
The law enforcers also barricaded the central AL office at Bangabandhu Avenue, Russell Square and Bangabandhu Museum area yesterday.
AL leaders and workers however brought out small processions in the areas braving police barricades.
The main opposition party and its allies enforced the hartal protesting the killing of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria and four AL activists in a grenade attack in Habiganj on Thursday.
Police dispersed several prohartal processions brought out by AL workers in Green Road, Jatrabari, Dhaka University, Bangla Motor, Malibagh, Mirpur and other areas.
The demonstrators damaged and set fire to a number of rickshaws and auto-rickshaws.
Four people injured in police baton charge were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Police also picked up several dozen opposition activists mainly belonging to the AL.
Those hospitalised include Nazma Akhter, president of Jubo Mahila AL, and its leaders Sharmeen Akhter Nipa and Salma Sultana.
At Russell Square, police asked people not to gather even on the sidewalk. In the afternoon, 21 AL lawmakers gathered there and tried to march towards parliament but police intercepted them.
Facing police resistance, AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil declared that the protest against the killing of Kibira would continue until the killers were nabbed. The ruling BNP will be dislodged from power, he asserted.
Dhanmondi police picked up nine AL activists from Green Road as they tried to bring out a procession. Police also picked up one youth from Dainik
Bangla crossing on charge of throwing a bomb at a passer-by.
In Manikganj, 10 AL workers were injured when an opposition rally was attacked allegedly by workers of BNP's student front Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JSD). The rally was being held in front of Manikganj press club.
In Jessore, police charged baton on a procession of journalists protesting the killing of leading personalities. Witnesses said police swooped on them without any provocation injuring several journalists.
Our Gaibandha correspondent said hartal supporters detained a train at Sonatola railway station for an hour. Long route buses and other vehicles did not ply during the hartal.
In the capital, AL leaders repeatedly attempted to break the police cordon and enter Muktangon in the morning. Police resisted them and also picked up several party workers.
At one stage, some frontline AL leaders including Tofail Ahmed, Motia Chowdhury and Asaduzzman Noor entered Muktangon. They sat there for a few hours and deplored the 'negative attitude' of the government and law enforcing agencies towards the exercise of democratic rights by the people.
Earlier, Motia tried to bring out a procession from Bangla Motor crossing but failed in the face of police resistance.