hartal by a citizens

A half-day hartal by a citizens’ pressure group was observed partially in the capital on Monday in protest against the government’s decision to lease out three gas blocks to international oil giants.Local units of the group also staged demonstrations in different districts as a part of the programme.The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port, backed by a section of left-leaning political parties, enforced the 6:00am-12:00 noon hartal – the first since the Awami League-led alliance government assumed office in January. The committee gave the government a fresh one-month ultimatum to fulfil its five-point charter of demands, including punishment of the persons responsible for the police attack on its activists on September 2.The government on August 24 approved oil and gas exploration deals with US ConocoPhillips and Ireland’s Tullow Oil Ltd in three offshore blocks.The police beat up protesters, including the committee’s member-secretary professor Anu Muhammad, on September 2 when they were marching towards the headquarters of the state-owned Petrobangla.Pro-hartal pickets started assembling at Purana Paltan, Shahbagh, Mirpur section 10, Asad Gate, Science Laboratory crossing, Plassey crossing, Malibagh, Shanir Akhra, Jatrabari, Bahadur Shah Park and Sadarghat from early in the morning. They held rallies and brought out processions asking the city dwellers to observe the hartal.Police set up barricades at all approaches to Purana Paltan and Shahbagh intersections and the Dhaka University area and diverted traffic elsewhere.Attendance at government and private offices, including the secretariat, was thin in the morning and the number of visitors to the administrative headquarters was remarkably low.Most of the educational institutions remained closed. Banks operated covertly keeping only their back doors open and the city malls started business late.Tarffic was thin during the hartal hours as s few public and private buses plied the city roads while the number of cars was very low. Rickshaws plied the roads without major disruptions.Inter-district buses delayed their journey from Gabtoli, Mahakhali and Sayedabad terminals due to shortage of passengers. Trains, however, left the city on time.Protesters picketed Purana Paltan area till noon. Mujahidul Islam Selim, MM Akash, Morshed Ali and Ruhin Hossain Prince of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Khalequzzaman, Bazlur Rashid Firoj and Razequzzaman Ratan of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, Tipu Biswas of Jatiya Gana Front, Abdus Salam of Ganatantrik Majdur Party, Saiful Huq of Revolutionary Workers Party, Mushrefa Mishu of Democratic Revolutionary Party, Haider Akbar Khan Rano and Azizur Rahman of Workers Party (reconstituted), and Zonayed Saki of Ganasanghati Andolan led processions of respective organisations in the Paltan area.The national committee convener Sheikh Muhammad Shaheedullah led a separate procession.Cultural organisation Udichi Shilpi Gosthi entertained crowds at the intersection in the midst of rallies and processions.Pickets damaged two buses in front of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and beside the National Museum at around 7:00am prompting police to divert traffic from Sheraton, Matsya Bhaban and Kantaban crossings.Progressive Student Alliance held a rally in front of Aparajeya Bangla at Dhaka University expressing solidarity with the movement of the national committee.The protesters also burned copies of Bengali dailies Prothom Alo and Amader Samay at different places denouncing what they called their editorial stance against the movement to protect national resources.Deputy commissioner of Ramna zone, Atiqul Islam termed peaceful the situation during the hartal hours. ‘Law and order was totally under control… No violent incidents took place in the capital,’ he said.After the end of the hartal, the national committee held a rally at Muktangan and asked the government to fulfil its five-point charter of demands by October 15.‘We give the government until October 15 to meet our five-point charter of demands, or on October 16, the committee will call a national conference to decide tougher action programmes, including hartals and siege,’ Sheikh Muhammad Shaheedullah told the rally.The five-point charter of demands includes cancellation of the model oil-gas distribution contract 2008, cancellation of the proposed lease of three offshore blocks to foreign firms, formulation of a new model production-sharing contract ensuring 100 percent public ownership, full implementation of the Phulbari agreement 2006 and punishment of those responsible for the attack on Anu Muhammad and others on September 2.The committee will continue its campaign till October 15 to garner support for the demands.The national committee also staged demonstrations in divisional and district headquarters, including Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal, Sylhet and Rangpur.Some 50 people under the banner of the national committee brought out a procession and staged protest in front of the DC office in Barisal.In Khulna, the national committee brought out a procession from Shaheed Hadis park and paraded the city roads.The Rangpur district unit of the national committee held a rally and brought out a procession from the local press club vowing to continue the movement until demands were fulfilled.