Sec 144 imposed in Ctg to avert confrontation
CHITTAGONG, MAR 12: Ganajagaran Mancha and Hefazat-e-Islam, the organisations that locked horns over holding counter programmes in the city, announced postponements of their scheduled events for Wednesday after authorities imposed restrictions on gathering on the day. In a bid to diffuse the mounting tension in the port city, the local administration on Tuesday evening imposed Section 144 in Chittagong City from 6 am to 12 am on Wednesday.
Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) has imposed a ban on all sorts of public gatherings, meetings, rallies, processions and carrying sticks and explosive substances in Chittagong metropolitan area from 6 am to 12 am.
The decision came from a meeting of the police administration this evening.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Detective Branch) of the CMP told The Independent that under Sections 28, 29, 33 and 34 of the CMP Ordinance the bans have been imposed.
“Under the bans, no public gathering, meeting, rallies, processions and carrying of sticks and explosive substances will be allowed from 6 am to 12 am in Chittagong metropolitan area on Wednesday,” he added saying the police would not allow gatherings of five persons at the same place during the ban.
Following the development, organizers of Ganajagaran Mancha, Chittagong, postponed their rally scheduled for Wednesday to avoid any untoward incident and harm to the lives and property of the city’s residents.
The organizers of Ganajaran Mancha informed the media of this decision at an emergency press briefing at the Chittagong Press Club at 8 pm Tuesday they shifted their programme to Thursday.
The Hefazat-e-Islam said on Tuesday night that it had also postponed Wednesday’s hartal. The announcement came nearly an hour after Ganajagaran Mancha announced cancellation of its scheduled rally on the day.
“We have postponed the strike; if necessary we will call it again,” Azizul Haque Islamabadi, a leader of the Islamist party told The Independent.
Meanwhile, unidentified persons on several motor bikes blasted 5 to 6 crude explosive devices (cocktails) in front of the Press Club and Cheragipahar intersection and quickly fled from the spot at around 8:20 pm when the press conference was going on. Earlier, a tense situation had gripped the port city for the last couple of days as the Ganajagaran Mancha had declared to hold rally at Chittagong Press Club premises on Wednesday while Hefazat-e-Islam called for a hartal and said it would resist the rally at any cost.
Meanwhile, despite the previous imposition of Section 144 in different areas of the city both Ganajagaran Mancha and Hefazat-e-Islam were determined to hold their respective programmes. The people of Chittagong apprehended a law and order situation and even feared bloodshed.
The organizers of Ganajagaran Mancha had completed all preparations to hold the rally and the central leaders of the mancha had started for the port city to attend the rally.
On the other hand, Hefazat-e-Islam staged a show of strength at several spots of the city including Andarkilla and Lalkhan Bazar. At their programmes Hefazat-e-Islam activists and leaders took oath to resist the rally at any cost.
Meanwhile, a large number of policemen have already been deployed at different points of the city to resist any anarchy or untoward incident. The RAB and BGB men have also started patrolling the city areas from the evening.
The organizers of Ganajagaran Mancha at a press conference on Tuesday evening had said that all preparations for holding the grand rally at Chittagong Press Club premises on March 13 had been completed and they would hold the rally at any cost.
Mentioning that the Ganajagaran Mancha has no dispute with any Islamist party but only with Jamaat-Shibir, the organizers urged the leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam once again to withdraw Wednesday’s hartal.
“We believe that Hefazat-e-Islam also wants the trial of war criminals and they do not support the politics of Jamaat-Shibir,” the Ganajagaran Mancha leaders had said.
On the other side, leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam talked with the media at Cheragi Pahar area at noon and said that Dr Imran H Sarker is an atheist and they would resist his rally at any cost.
“We are not against the trial of war criminals. We also demand trials of war criminals but we can never allow any derogatory comments against Islam, and permit atheism,” they said.
In the meantime, the shops which had remained closed during Tuesday’s hartal opened for an hour but soon closed again fearing anarchy. This evening people are going home earlier and the city roads have started wearing an unusually empty look.
Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) has imposed a ban on all sorts of public gatherings, meetings, rallies, processions and carrying sticks and explosive substances in Chittagong metropolitan area from 6 am to 12 am.
The decision came from a meeting of the police administration this evening.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Detective Branch) of the CMP told The Independent that under Sections 28, 29, 33 and 34 of the CMP Ordinance the bans have been imposed.
“Under the bans, no public gathering, meeting, rallies, processions and carrying of sticks and explosive substances will be allowed from 6 am to 12 am in Chittagong metropolitan area on Wednesday,” he added saying the police would not allow gatherings of five persons at the same place during the ban.
Following the development, organizers of Ganajagaran Mancha, Chittagong, postponed their rally scheduled for Wednesday to avoid any untoward incident and harm to the lives and property of the city’s residents.
The organizers of Ganajaran Mancha informed the media of this decision at an emergency press briefing at the Chittagong Press Club at 8 pm Tuesday they shifted their programme to Thursday.
The Hefazat-e-Islam said on Tuesday night that it had also postponed Wednesday’s hartal. The announcement came nearly an hour after Ganajagaran Mancha announced cancellation of its scheduled rally on the day.
“We have postponed the strike; if necessary we will call it again,” Azizul Haque Islamabadi, a leader of the Islamist party told The Independent.
Meanwhile, unidentified persons on several motor bikes blasted 5 to 6 crude explosive devices (cocktails) in front of the Press Club and Cheragipahar intersection and quickly fled from the spot at around 8:20 pm when the press conference was going on. Earlier, a tense situation had gripped the port city for the last couple of days as the Ganajagaran Mancha had declared to hold rally at Chittagong Press Club premises on Wednesday while Hefazat-e-Islam called for a hartal and said it would resist the rally at any cost.
Meanwhile, despite the previous imposition of Section 144 in different areas of the city both Ganajagaran Mancha and Hefazat-e-Islam were determined to hold their respective programmes. The people of Chittagong apprehended a law and order situation and even feared bloodshed.
The organizers of Ganajagaran Mancha had completed all preparations to hold the rally and the central leaders of the mancha had started for the port city to attend the rally.
On the other hand, Hefazat-e-Islam staged a show of strength at several spots of the city including Andarkilla and Lalkhan Bazar. At their programmes Hefazat-e-Islam activists and leaders took oath to resist the rally at any cost.
Meanwhile, a large number of policemen have already been deployed at different points of the city to resist any anarchy or untoward incident. The RAB and BGB men have also started patrolling the city areas from the evening.
The organizers of Ganajagaran Mancha at a press conference on Tuesday evening had said that all preparations for holding the grand rally at Chittagong Press Club premises on March 13 had been completed and they would hold the rally at any cost.
Mentioning that the Ganajagaran Mancha has no dispute with any Islamist party but only with Jamaat-Shibir, the organizers urged the leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam once again to withdraw Wednesday’s hartal.
“We believe that Hefazat-e-Islam also wants the trial of war criminals and they do not support the politics of Jamaat-Shibir,” the Ganajagaran Mancha leaders had said.
On the other side, leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam talked with the media at Cheragi Pahar area at noon and said that Dr Imran H Sarker is an atheist and they would resist his rally at any cost.
“We are not against the trial of war criminals. We also demand trials of war criminals but we can never allow any derogatory comments against Islam, and permit atheism,” they said.
In the meantime, the shops which had remained closed during Tuesday’s hartal opened for an hour but soon closed again fearing anarchy. This evening people are going home earlier and the city roads have started wearing an unusually empty look.
Courtesy: The Independent
