JCD leader dies in police firing: BNP-called hartal in Bhola

BNP activists in a procession in support of Thursday's Hartal in Bhola. UNB

Bhola, Aug 4 -- The Bhola unit of BNP embarked on a dawn-to-dusk strike on Thursday morning in protest against the death of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) district unit president Nure Alam in a clash between police and supporters of the main opposition party.

The strike began at 6am and will continue till 6pm in the district, said BNP’s Bhola unit joint general secretary Humayun Kabir Sopan.

The protesting BNP members staged demonstrations and took out processions in different parts of the district. Most shops and business establishments on Mahajanotti Sadar Road and the BNP office area remained shut.

Due to the strike, only a few vehicles were seen plying on the roads in the district. However, long-haul buses were seen plying on the Bhola-Charfashan route.

Besides, law enforcers have been deployed at some major places of the district town to avoid any untoward situation.

Nure Alam sustained bullet wounds during the clash with the police on Sunday.

Humayun said that Nure Alam was taken to Comfort Diagnostic Centre in the capital on the same day, where he succumbed to his injuries around 3.15pm on Wednesday. He had been on life support at the hospital.

As part of BNP’s countrywide demonstration programme protesting the ongoing load shedding and mismanagement in the power sector, the leaders and activists of the party gathered in front of their district party office in Bhola on Sunday.

At one stage, police obstructed them when they tried to stage demonstrations at Kalinath Roy Bazar around 11.30am, triggering a clash.

Later, police fired bullets and lobbed teargas shells that left local Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim dead and some other leaders and activists of the party injured. - UNB