The dawn-to-dusk hartal, called by Jamaat-e-Islami passed off peacefully today in the city and district and was mostly ignored by the people. Jamaat called the countrywide shutdown on Wednesday protesting the upholding of the death sentence to one of Jamaat's top leader Mir Quasem Ali for his crimes against humanity during Bangladesh's War of Liberation in 1971 by the Supreme Court (SC) Appellate bench after rejecting the appeal. Traffic was almost normal since morning today as a good number of motorized vehicles mostly commuters' services, buses, rickshaws and CNG-run auto-rickshaws were seen plying in the city streets defying the hartal call. Attendance in public, private offices and banks was normal while trading at Chaktai-Khatungonj, the prime wholesale business hub in the country, also functioned as usual, Khatungonj business association sources said. Operational activities inside all 174 industries at Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) went on in full swing and attendances of the workers were almost normal while all scheduled trains to and from the port city left and arrived as per schedules, Railway and CEPZ authority sources said. All domestic and international flights at Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport took off and landed according to schedule, airport sources said. All activities including loading and unloading of cargoes at ships inside the port and outer anchorage were as usual but transportation of goods to and from Chittagong port remained partially halted. Police and witnesses said that there was no picketing or procession by Jamaat-Shibir activists during the shutdown. The long distance and inter-district buses, however, started their journey for different destinations from port city after 2 pm today. Besides, classes and examinations of almost all the educational institutions in the port city and its adjoining districts were held during the shutdown. Metropolitan and District police control room sources said there were no reports of any untoward incident from any part of the city and district during the strike. Bangladesh Awami League (AL) and its front organizations including Bangladesh Chhatra League dominated almost all the city streets by holding rallies and bringing out processions. Chittagong city unit President and former mayor A B M Mohiuddin Chowdhury addressed 23 way-side rallies where he said Jamaat's hartal totally failed as the people of Chittagong rejected it. Mizanur Rahman, Deputy Commercial officer of Bangladesh Railway told BSS that all scheduled trains to and from the port city left and arrived as per schedule. Huge law enforcers including, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were seen patrolling different parts of the city and district to avert untoward situation. Source: BSS.
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