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Violence, vandalism mark third day of hartal

Staff Correspondent
BNP-enforced third day countrywide hartal demanding whereabouts of its missing leader Ilias Ali and his driver was observed in the capital yesterday with sporadic violence and vandalism.
Former lawmaker M Ilias Ali and his driver Ansar went missing on April 17. Police found abandoned car of Ilias near his Banani residence around 1:30am on the day. Main opposition BNP has claimed that law enforcers picked up Illias Ali while the government refuted the allegation saying it is trying to find out the BNP leader.
During the hartal hours yesterday, the opposition activists could not rule over the city streets due to police obstruction while ruling Awami League men brought out anti-hartal processions with protection of the law enforcers.
However, normalcy returned to the capital in the afternoon as vehicles started plying on the streets. Heavy contingents of law enforcers were deployed at all key points during the dawn-to-dusk hartal hours.
BNP leaders and workers who gathered in front of its Nayapaltan central office since the morning could not bring out any procession or hold rally due to police obstruction. The law enforcers cordoned off the BNP office since 6:00am.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam there said the government was turning the country into a chaotic situation by not returning party's organising secretary (Shylhet division) Ilias Ali to his family.
"The government's men have picked up Ilias Ali and it's their duty to return him to his family," said Fakhrul to journalists.
According to police and witnesses, violence took place at different parts of the capital, including Rajarbagh, Agargaon, Mohakhali, Gulshan, Malibagh, Bangla Motor intersection, Karwan Bazar, Dhanmondi and Jatrabari during the hartal hours.
Three cocktails went off at Rajarbagh, leaving two police personnel wounded. Two more cocktails exploded at Maghbazar while another at Gulshan
crossing.
Pro-hartal activists vandalised five vehicles at Mohakhali and a human hauler at Malibagh Railgate while JCD men from Dhaka University unit damaged at least four buses at Bangla Motor.
Protesters also damaged a vehicle of television channel, Independent TV, on Gulshan link road in the morning.
They also torched a private car at Karwan Bazar while one minibus near Mahila Polytechnic Institute at Agargaon.
Police dispersed several pro-hartal rallies in different parts of the capital, including Dhanmondi, Motijheel, Fakirerpool and Kalabagan.
On Dhanmondi road no 1, police dispersed a BNP rally led by former state minister Abdul Mannan Khan around 1:30pm and picked up two activists while they clashed with the law enforcers.
Four pickets were held at Mirpur Section-10 while attempting to set fire to a bus around 11:30am.
In South Jatrabari, pickets threw brickbats at law enforcers, forcing them to fire two blank shots.
Constable Anwar Hossain was injured during the clash.
Before Dhakeshwari temple around 3:45pm, picketers set fire to a human hauler and beat up its driver.
Injured driver Md Bulbul who was undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital told The Daily Star that 20-25 BNP men hurled brickbats at his vehicle and dragged him out of it, beat him up and set fire to it.
Meanwhile, Kader Siddiqui visited the BNP central office at 12:20pm and urged Mirza Fakhrul Islam to find out alternative to hartal considering people's sufferings.
"You can stage sit-in at the Prime Minister's Office premises. I would be with you," the Krishak Sramik Janata League president told Fakhrul at a meeting there.
At one stage, Siddiqui laid down on the street for 45 minutes before the BNP office demanding release of his ten party men who were picked up by police from there. He left the area with a procession when police released them.