At least 12 people were injured, three of them bullet-hit, in a clash between police and BNP supporters during a daylong hartal in Munshiganj Sadar upazila this morning.

BNP called the shutdown protesting irregularities in Thursday’s election to the upazila and demanding re-election there, reports our Munshiganj correspondent. It was part of the second phase of upazila polls.

The bullet-hit were identified as – Mohammad Hossain Pusti, 40, upazila unit president of Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal, the youth front of BNP; and two activists of the wing — Nur Hossain Pusti, 33, and Faruk Hossain, 38.

They were undergoing treatment at Munshiganj General Hospital.

Law enforcers chase pro-hartal activists as BNP called a daylong hartal in Munshiganj Sadar upazila today.

The clash erupted when some 200 leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations brought out a procession led by Mohammad from Hatimara area in the upazila.

They faced police interception after marching nearly half a kilometre towards Sipahipara.

While showing reaction, the processionists hurled brick chips at them, forcing the law enforcers to fire three shots from shotguns, said Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of the Sadar Police Station.

A chase and counter-chase also took place during the clash, the OC added.

The shutdown ended peacefully in other parts of the upazila as additional law enforcers have been deployed there, the police official claimed.

Meanwhile, the inter-district transports were seen as usual during the hartal, the police official said.

Roadside shops and business establishments remained open in the southern part of the town while few shops were found shuttered down in the northern.

On February 27, BNP-backed chairman candidate Mosharaf Hossain Pusti along with vice-chairman and woman vice-chairman candidates boycotted the upazila election alleging vote rigging.

thedailystar