The superintendent of police (SP) of Netrakona and an officer-in-charge (OC) have given contradictory statements about picking up the father and brother of Yadav Das after they had spent over 36 hours in police custody.

The town was rife with rumours yesterday that police are pressing them to admit Yadav embraced Islam to substantiate the claim of the state minister for home that he was a suicide bomber.

Barhatta police on Friday night asked Satyen Chandra Das and

Biplob Das, Yadav's father and brother, to come to the police station and detained them at dawn Saturday when they showed up to meet the OC.

OC Mostak Hossain of Barhatta Police Station yesterday reiterated his claim that the two have been kept in police custody for their own safety.

But SP Ali Hossain Fakir told The Daily Star last night the police detained the two to quiz them about Yadav and his activities.

Asked why they were not released even after 36 hours, he

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declined to comment and pointed to the OC for further information in this connection.

However, OC Mostak told The Daily Star Yadav's father and brother were detained following an order from the high-ups.

Dipa Das, Yadav's sister, told newspersons her father and brother were not detained on security grounds.

She said they never sought police help; rather the law enforcers are harassing them since the blast.

State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar immediately after the blast on Thursday claimed Yadav was one of the suicide bombers. Yadav died at Netrakona General Hospital the same day.

HARTAL OBSERVED

The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the 14-party opposition alliance passed off spontaneously yesterday. The hartal hours were peaceful except for a few stray incidents of violence that left five people hurt.

Cadres of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), student wing of ruling BNP, attacked and injured at least five Awami League activists during hartal hours.

The 14-party took out a procession from the local AL office around 12noon and marched the main streets of the town.

Witnesses said the opposition alliance brought out a procession in Atpara upazila yesterday morning when JCD activists armed with sticks and other weapons attacked the pickets in the presence of police.

Critically injured, AL leader Sultan Uddin Ahmed, also a former UP chairman and freedom fighter, was committed to Netrakona General Hospital. The other injured -- Rukonuzzaman, Mozammal Haque, Jewel and Hira -- were admitted to Atpara Upazila Health Complex.

The opposition alliance also held a protest rally in front of the district AL office in the evening.

Police arrested three Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists including district BCL leader Ajoy Chakraborty.

All educational institutions, shops and markets in the town and all upazilas remained closed.