DHAKA: The 48-hour hartal, enforced by Jamaat-e-Islami protesting the Supreme Court verdict that uphold death penalty of its leader Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, has entered the last day on Wednesday.

Began at 6:00am on Tuesday, the shutdown is set to continue till 6am on Thursday coupled with the ongoing indefinite blockade, enforced by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

No acts of sabotages were reported across the country till early Wednesday.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) are on duty across the country, including the city, to keep law and order situations under control.

Meanwhile, BGB personnel have been deployed across the country since Monday night to prevent sabotages during hartal hours.

Additional members of law enforcing agencies have been deployed in front of government offices and key point installments (KPI) and at the strategic points in the city.

Earlier on Monday, Jamaat acting Ameer Makbul Ahmad announced the hartal issuing a press statement sent by its publicity wing to media.

Terming the apex court verdict as a ‘government conspiracy to kill Kamaruzzaman’, the party is enforcing the shutdown across the country on Tuesday and Wednesday, demanding its leader’s release.

However, ambulance, freezer van, vehicles of hospital and fire services will remain out of purview of the shutdown, according to the statement, the release adds.

On April 6, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court rejected Kamaruzzaman’s review petition, filed against its verdict, upholding his death penalty for his crimes against humanity committed during War of Independence in 1971.

BDST: 0610/0928 HRS, APR 08, 2015
HB/RS