CHANDINA, COMILLA: Hartal supporters set fire to a cotton-laden truck in Debidar upazila of the district hours before the nationwide hartal called by Jamaat-e-Islami.

The incident took place in Barera area of the upazila on Comilla-Sylhet highway early Thursday.

Truck driver Saleh Ahmed told banglanews that from a protest procession, hartal supporters set afire to his truck, heading to Habignaj from Chittagong, in Barera area, leaving the vehicle completely burned. 

The extent of loss caused by the fire was estimated at TK 20-lakh, the driver claimed.

Confirming the matter, Debidar thana officer-in-charge Mizanur Rahman told banglanews that on information, police and a unit of fire fighters from Companiganj fire station rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control.

On Wednesday, Jamaat-e-Islami called countrywide hartal for Thursday and Sunday in protest against the Supreme Court verdict that sentenced Delawar Hossain Sayedee to imprisonment unto death for war crimes.

Earlier on the day, the apex court commuted the death sentence of Sayedee in 2 charges of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War differing the International Crimes Tribunal’s sentence of death penalty to him.

BDST: 1002 HRS, SEP 18, 2014