Shutdown extended to Monday

[Mattrixx]

Dhaka, Apr 22 (bdnews24.com) — The BNP will enforce for a second straight day a daylong countrywide shutdown on Monday to protest the disappearance of the party's organising secretary M Ilias Ali.

The main opposition party's acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the announcement at a media call at the Naya Paltan headquarters minutes before Sunday's lockdown was to end.

Fakhrul, who has been threatening the government with a non-stop general strike, said, "I'm telling the government again, return Ilias Ali and his car driver. Otherwise, the protest will be tougher."

"Monday's hartal will also be a 6am-to-6pm one like Sunday," he added.

Ilias Ali, also the chief of Sylhet district chapter, went missing since in the early hours on Wednesday. Police recovered his car, abandoned with doors open, from a street in Mohakhali.

Sunday's shutdown saw law-enforcers clamping down on pickets as sporadic clashes took place around the country. BNP leaders were cordoned off at the Naya Paltan headquarters all day long.

Sylhet, the home of Ilias Ali, had the biggest share of violence between police and opposition pickets leading to 20 people being injured and more than 50 detained.

The main opposition has been alleging the government has 'abducted' Ilias while the government refuted the allegation claiming it is trying it's best to find Ilias, a former MP.

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia alleged that Rapid Action Battalion 'abducted' Ilias. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, however, said that Ilias has gone into 'hiding' and BNP is staging a 'drama' over it.

Fakhrul at the press briefing on Sunday said, "Remarks of the prime minister and the government officials have led us to believe that a government agency has abducted Ilias and now they are staging dramas over the issue of returning him."

Meanwhile, RAB on Saturday night raided several suspected houses at Gazipur's Pubail to find Ilias but had nothing to show for.

Apart from Sylhet, situation was normal elsewhere during Sunday's shutdown. Train, launch and plane operations were normal. Long-route buses were at a halt while rickshaws dominated the streets as usual.

Several local-made hand bombs exploded in the capital since the morning, most of them in front of the BNP headquarters.

bdnews24.com

 

[Mattrixx]

AL active on streets during BNP strike

Dhaka, Apr 22 (bdnews24.com) – The ruling Awami League on Sunday brought out several anti-hartal processions at different points of the capital.

They also gathered in front of the party headquarters at the Bangabandhu Avenue.

AL activists and supporters started gathering at the party's Bangabandhu Avenue office since morning.

Party's city unit official Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya was at the headquarters where the supporters chanted anti-strike slogan.

The BNP is enforcing Sunday's shutdown protesting against the disappearance of the party's one of the organising secretaries M Ilias Ali. The opposition asked the authorities to find Ali.

The government, however, had requested BNP to withdraw Sunday's strike. The opposition rejected the call and threatened to enforce indefinite strike if Ali was not found.

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), AL student wing, Paltan unit brought out a procession at the Nightingale Crossing near the BNP headquarters. Police, however, did not allow them to move towards the BNP headquarters.

Ulama League, a religious group affiliated with AL, brought out a procession at the Bangabandhu Avenue and held a rally in front of the National Press Club.

Several other anti-strike processions were also seen across the capital.

The BNP leaders had been alleging that the government had a hand in Ilias Ali's going 'missing'. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina rejected the allegation and said it was a "drama staged by the BNP".

Home minister Shahara Khatun on Friday called on the opposition to withdraw the strike, saying law enforcing agencies were working to find out Ilias.

BNP spokesman Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the opposition might call non-stop shutdown if Ali was not found.

bdnews24.com

 

[Mattrixx]

Police and law enforcers could not yet trace Elias Ali or establish what led to his mysterious disappearance from Banani in the capital on Tuesday night.
Three teams of police, detective branch of police and RAB-1 were investigating the incident.
Banani police officer-in-charge Mamun-ur-Rashid said the police were trying their best to trace Elias and crack the mystery.
‘Our investigation team on Friday went to Elias Ali’s house and talked to his wife for additional information but until now we could not trace him or make any headway...,’ he said.
Elias Ali, made the last call from the city’s Eskaton area before his mobile was switched off, investigators said after tracking the calls made from his cell phone, reports bdnews24.com.
The last person he had talked with was a journalist from Sylhet and the conversation took place at 12:02am Wednesday, Rapid Action Battalion investigators said.
Elias had called up his driver before making the last call to the journalist, RAB said.
RAB already questioned the journalist and said that the conversation was about publishing some reports relating to the development of Sylhet.
Before going missing, Elias also visited Bangla Motors and Ruposhi Bangla Hotel areas. It has also been confirmed that Elias had gone to the hotel and talked to a person there, the investigators added.
Banani police inspector (investigation) Mainul Islam said they had visited South Point School and municipal park area on Thursday to inquire into a general diary lodged with the police station about the disappearance of Elias Ali and his driver.
‘Our personnel in plain clothes secretly talked to security guards of several buildings and the night guards of the area where Elias’s car was found abandoned, who were on duty on that night and local people of the area,’ he said.
Mahbubur Rahman, deputy commissioner (north) of the detective branch of police, said, ‘Our team and other law enforcement agencies are trying to find out Elias and his driver.’
‘We are doing everything possible to trace him and his driver…’, he said.
‘Until now we could not discover any vital clue to the mystery of his disappearance,’ he added.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party organising secretary M Elias Ali went missing from Dhaka around midnight past Tuesday.

 

[Mattrixx]

Screw the country we r having fun

 

[Mehnab Khan]

Very disturbing information ...
Forced Disappearance & Fascists in Bangladesh

 

[kobiraaz]

ঢামেক গেটে ছাত্রদল কর্মীদের লাঠিপেটা: আটক ১

ঢাকা মেডিক্যাল কলেজ (ঢামে&#2453 গেটে জাতীয়তাবাদী ছাত্রদল মিছিল করার চেষ্টা করলে পুলিশ তাদের লাঠিপেটা করে তাড়িয়ে দেয়। এ সময় সুমন নামে এক ছাত্রদল কর্মীকে আটক করে পুলিশ।

সোমবার সকাল ৬টা ৩৭ মিনিটে ছাত্রদলের বেশ কয়েকজন একত্র হয়ে মিছিল করার চেষ্টা করে। পুলিশ তাদের ধাওয়া করে জড়ো হওয়া সব নেতাকর্মীদের ছত্রভঙ্গ করে দেয়।

এর আগে নয়াপল্টনে মিছিলের চেষ্টা করলে পুলিশের সঙ্গে বিএনপি নেতাকর্মীদের ধস্তাধস্তির ঘটনা ঘটে। এসময় পুলিশ জাসাসের বিপ্লব, রতনসহ ৪ জনকে আটক করে।

 

[scholseys]

I miss the drag races on the airport road during the hartals.

 

[integra]

The shutdown should continue until Elias is found or atleast his
status being dead or alive is known unless, in the next 1.4 years
no one shall be safe.

 

[scholseys]

Elias has been kidnapped for speaking against tipaimukhi dam, you will hardly see any politician speaking against the dam. Not even BNP chairperson. India has a very strong hold in Bangladesh. Tipamukhi will be built and no one can do anything about it.

 

[Mattrixx]

The shutdown should continue until Elias is found or atleast his
status being dead or alive is known unless, in the next 1.4 years
no one shall be safe.

Why not pistol sunny is more important to us than our country.We have to protect every gang leaders

 

[Zabaniyah]

Stop being evil.

 

[Mattrixx]

ঢামেক গেটে ছাত্রদল কর্মীদের লাঠিপেটা: আটক ১

Why u innocent & small number of people coming on streets & beaten up by police while u know that.Its not worthy to u guys.

Its duty of awami leagurs.They r used to it.They can resist the pain why u guys r following them.

Just go to home & rest the work will be taken by police.Just make sure burn some cars & kill some people night before the Shutdown.& the both party will be happy.

 

[kobiraaz]

Bangalir Roshbodh!

 

[Mattrixx]

Traffic rising in Dhaka streets

Dhaka, Apr 23 (bdnews24.com ) — Traffic in capital Dhaka is on the rise on the second day of the BNP's daylong shutdown demanding to return of the 'whereabouts' of M Ilias Ali, one of the party's organising secretaries and chief of its Sylhet chapter.

The usual modes of transports including buses and auto-rickshaws have been plying the streets since Monday morning. More office-goers came out than they did on Sunday. However, rickshaws dominated the otherwise motor vehicle-laden main streets.

The BNP's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir declared at the party's Naya Paltan headquarters late on Sunday afternoon that the general strike would continue on Monday also.

bdnews24.com correspondents reported from around the capital city that the number of vehicles in the streets increased on the second day.

Law enforcers cordoned BNP's Naya Paltan office on Monday also, barring activists from crowding at the venue. Several senior leaders like Mirza Fakhrul, central members Shamsuzzaman Dudu, Aman Ullah Aman and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi are caught up in the cordon.

Police are dispersing all activists of the BNP-led 18-Party Coalition who are attempting to take out processions.

bdnews24.com




One dead in Bishwanath clashes

Dhaka, Apr 23 (bdnews24.com)—One person died as people of Bishwanath upazila, the constituency of missing BNP leader M Ilias Ali, clashed with law enforcers once again on Monday, police said.

The violent demonstrations that continued for over two hours from around 2pm also left over 50 people including 10 policemen injured.

Police could not immediately confirm identity of the victim, aged 22,.

bdnews24.com's Sylhet correspondent quoting police and witnesses said several thousand people from seven to eight villages including Ramdhana of Olongkari union, the home of Ilias Ali, marched towards Bishwanath Police Station minutes after 2pm armed with bamboo sticks and local weapons.

Police intercepted the marauding mob when it reached the Upazila complex, triggering a clash with the villagers.

The clash turned the area into battlefield as police fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells to disperse the mob which pelted brickbats and stones in retaliation. Around 20 people were injured during the clash.

"Police were forced to fire over a hundred rounds of bullets and also tear gas shells to bring the situation under control," said Bishwanath Police Station officer in-charge Chan Miah.

On Sunday, the first day of the shutdown, about 50 people including nine policemen were injured when villagers of Ramdhana tried to besiege the police station. Police arrested 14 during the clash.

Since morning, local Awami League leaders took position at every intersection in the Upazila headquarters alongside police to prevent BNP activists from staging demonstrations.

At Kanaighat upazila, Awami League and BNP supporters clashed, leaving 10 people injured. Ten shops and several other vehicles were vandalised during the clash.

The clash erupted when two processions, one taken out in support of the strike and the other against it, ran into each other at Uttarbazar.

Kanaighat Police Station officer in-charge Rafiqul Islam said police charged baton to tame the protestors.

bdnews24.com/

 

[Mattrixx]

Tomorrow hartal again.

Right we r way for destruction.Again one holiday.So