Today's hartal at a glance
As the BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami enforce the first major hartal in recent years, violence has erupted across the country. Several deaths have been reported. Political leaders have been arrested. Take a quick look at some of the most important events of the day to get a more comprehensive idea of the chaotic events that has taken place since morning.
- BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been detained by law enforcement forces
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been detained by law enforcement forces today, his wife Rahat Ara Begum said. "In the morning DB police people came to the house. Mirza Fakhrul talked to everyone in the house. Then they took the hard disk of the house and the building. Ten minutes later, they came back and arrested him. Mirza Fakhrul was very ill, his treatment was going on. I can't accept a 75-year-old man being detained like this," she said on Sunday (29 October).
- Attempt to murder case has been filed against Mirza Abbas, 800 others
Police today filed a case against some 800 people, including BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas, on charges of exploding cocktails to kill police and snatching law enforcers' weapons at the BNP's mass meeting in Nayapaltan yesterday (28 October).
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- Police have surrounded the houses of BNP leaders Mirza Abbas and Amir Khasru
Police have surrounded the residences of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and its Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury to arrest them, the party said today.
- The wife of a Faridpur BNP leader died of cardiac arrest during a police raid at their house on Saturday night
Ronjuara Begum, 40, an assistant teacher and wife of BNP leader SM Ikram Hossain, died after suffering a cardiac arrest while police were conducting a search in her house in Faridpur, the family has alleged. Her husband, the Nagarkanda upazila BNP's rural development affairs secretary, was not home at the time.
- BCL activists allegedly beat Jubo Dal leader to death in the capital
BNP has alleged that activists of the ruling Awami League have beaten a Jubo Dal leader to death in the capital's Adabor area today. "Md Abdur Rashid, former youth leader of Adabar thana, and local government affairs secretary BNP's ward no 30 unit was killed by Awami League leaders and activists while he was returning from a procession to enforce the hartal," Dhaka Metropolitan North BNP member Aminul Haque said on Sunday (29 October).
- A bus helper was burned to death and another injured as four buses were torched in different incidents in the capital
Nayem, a 22 year old bus helper, was sleeping in a bus of Wasim Paribahan route in the capital's Demra area when arsonists set the bus on fire at 3am. The perpetrators escaped unidentified. His colleague, Robiul, 25, was also on the bus. As the blaze began to engulf the vehicle, Robiul made his escape with burns covering a an estimated 17% of his body Nayem, however, was not so lucky. When the fire was finally doused his body was discovered within the bus.
- 12 BNP men have been detained in Cumilla after party claims its procession was attacked by police
Leaders of the BNP in Cumilla have alleged that have police detained 12 leaders and activists from a procession around 8am on Sunday. Cumilla Divisional Organising Secretary of BNP Mostaq Mia claimed that there was no provocation during the procession held at Chowkbazar, Cumilla.
- Three BNP men have been arrested in Sylhet after they "attacked law enforcers"
The police detained three people in Sylhet's Zindabazar area, confirmed officer-in-charge (OC) of Katwali police station Mohammad Ali Mahmud, although he did not disclose their names. He said a procession was brought out in Zindabazar around 8:30am on Sunday, where BNP activists attacked the police. At this time, the police chased them away, he added.
- During a procession by Chhatra Dal, party men clashed with police, exploding cocktails and throwing brickbats in Bogura
At least 13 people were injured and 17 vehicles were vandalised on Sunday. BNP activists blocked the Dhaka-Dinajpur highway in Sadar Upazila area. When the law and order forces tried to evacuate them, a clash broke out. At this time, the official car of Bogra Sadar Upazila Executive Officer was vandalised. Later they also vandalised some other cars. Daily Jayugantar's reporter Shakil was wounded on his leg after being hit by a brick and a few police officials were also injured.
- Two cops were injured after Lakshmipur after they were pelted with stones by protesters
Two police officials have been injured by brickbats thrown by picketers around 9am in Azadnagar area of Lakshmipur. They have received primary treatment at Upazila Health Complex. The injured have been identified as Sub-Inspector of Ramgati police station Nazmul and Assistant Sub-inspector Mannan.
- 70 BNP men were arrested in Brahmanbaria after they allegedly detonated cocktails in the city on Saturday night
Police in Brahmanbaria have arrested 70 leaders and activists of the BNP over the explosion of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), also known as cocktails, in the city's Kalibar Mor and Power House Road areas. The explosives were detonated on Saturday night (28 October).
- The European Union was the latest to express concern over the political violence and deaths in Bangladesh, following the US
The European Union (EU) and its member states in Dhaka expressed concern over the recent political violence and loss of lives in Bangladesh. "The European Union and its Member States in Dhaka are deeply saddened to see the loss of life and violence on the streets of Dhaka - vital that a peaceful way forward for participatory and peaceful elections is found," European Union in Bangladesh (@EUinBangladesh) wrote in its X, formerly known as Twitter, handler on Sunday (29 October).
