DACCA: Hartal was partially observed in Dacca to-day [Jan 19] from 6 a.m. to 12 noon, at the call of the pro-Awami League East Pakistan Students’ League. Two private cars and two buses were burnt and some rickshaw-pullers assaulted by the picketers in the New Market and the Salimullah Muslim Hall areas. Meanwhile, another victim of yesterday’s clashes at the Jamaat-i-lslami meeting at Paltan Maidan succumbed to his injuries in the morning raising the death figure to two. Both were students. During today’s Hartal a section of the Dacca students boycotted their classes. Town Service and EPRTC buses remained off the streets. A few vehicles were, however, found plying on some of the streets. All shops in yesterday’s troubled areas were closed.

Earlier, the East Pakistan Central Students Committee of Action held a meeting inside the University (Arts) campus where Ghaibana Namaz-i-Janaza was held. Tofael Ahmed, President of the Students’ League, told the University meeting that Maulana Maudoodi was trying to frustrate the forthcoming elections by resorting to “cool and calculated” methods. He charged the Jamaat for letting loose a reign of terror in the Paltan Maidan on Sunday and said such activities would not be tolerated by the democratic minded people of East Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2020