Bangladesh: Jamaat e Islami Thugs engage in violent attacks on installations set up by Shahbag movement

From: The Hindu

DHAKA, February 22, 2013

Jamaat-led protests turn violent

Haroon Habib

A day after the 17-day Shahbagh youth uprising ended, Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and like-minded Islamists launched violent demonstrations countrywide on Friday, leading to the death of four and injuring nearly 200 persons.

It started soon after the Juma prayer as the Jamaat and Shibir activists, joined by those from 12 Islamist organisations, engaged in running battles.

They demolished dozens of platforms built up by the Shahbagh protestors. The Jamaat-Shibir men also vandalised several Shaheed Minars, built in honour of the martyrs of the historic language movement of 1952. Police said they had to disperse the attackers by firing rubber bullets and rifle shots.

Ten journalists and 10 policemen were among the injured in Dhaka.

The demonstrations were in retaliation to the Shahbagh protests, which ended on Thursday. The Shahbagh demands had included capital punishment to all war criminals and banning of the Jamaat.

Meanwhile, the Shahbagh protesters again started spilling into the Projonmo Chottor, calling for countrywide demonstrations.

They were demanding the arrest of Mahmudur Rahman — acting editor of Amar Desh, believed to be close to BNP leader Khaleda Zia — for instigating the attack on Shaheed Minars .