Except for a few stray incidents of violence, yesterday’s dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the Jamaat-e-Islami was observed peacefully across the country.

The presence of pickets was thin and movement of people and vehicles was considerable reflecting poor public response to the shutdown.

The Jamaat on Tuesday announced dawn-to-dusk hartals for yesterday and today in protest at the International Crimes Tribunal's verdict sentencing its leader ATM Azharul Islam to death for committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

Hartal supporters vandalised and torched a covered van of Shah Cement in the capital's Mir Hazirbagh in the early hours, witnesses said. No one, however, was injured in the attack.

In Barisal city, an activist of Jamaat's student wing Island Chhatra Shibir bit into a hand of a constable of the Special Branch of police, Joynal Abedin, when the policeman caught hold of him among pickets staging a demonstration, in order to break free of the cop. Confirming the incident, the constable told The Daily Star that he had received treatment for the injury.

The Rapid Action Battalion recovered 25 petrol bombs from Boalia in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha, said Ashraf Ali, commanding officer of Gaibandha Rab-13.

The bombs had been gathered to carry out subversive activities in the area, he added.

The police arrested six Shibir activists in Rangpur, 30 Jamaat-Shibir men in Jhenidah, one Shibir man in Moulvibazar and 19 Jamaat, Shibir and BNP activists in Satkhira, suspecting that they might carry out destructive activities, reportour district correspondents.

Only Rajshahi and Khulna districts

witnessed mass demonstrations. In other parts of the country, not too many hartal processions or rallies were sighted.

A lesser number of private vehicles plied the streets in the capital yesterday compared to other days but public transport was available as additional policemen had been deployed at important points to prevent attacks.

However, no long-route buses left or entered the city.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police chief Benazir Ahmed, meanwhile, launched a new technology to ensure the accountability of police sergeants for their activities on roads. They will be wearing body cameras to record their activities during the duty hours.

The seigeants will also be able to record vehicular and pedestrian movement.