Violence rocks Bangladesh as Jamaat enforces nationwide strike

Much of Bangladesh was paralysed today by the latest strike called by Jamaat-e-Islami, with two powerful explosions rocking Shahbag Square, the epicentre of a massive campaign demanding toughest punishment for leaders of the fundamentalist party for war crimes during the 1971 war.
Two homemade bombs exploded at Shahbag Square just after a procession, staged by youngsters belonging to Ganajagaran Mancha, protesting the strike passed the scene.
"None was hurt as the bombs were blasted near the Shahbag Police Station," said a police officer, adding that two motorcyclist hurled the bombs and fled the scene immediately.
Protesters clashed with police in several towns and set several vehicles on fire to enforce the strike. Shops and schools were closed here and major roads were largely deserted.

Two police officers were injured in the northern town of Ullapara after protesters threw a homemade bomb into their vehicle, police said.
Violence was also reported from some other parts of the country, including southeastern town of Laksam, where police fired rubber bullets to disperse right-wing activists.

The latest Jamaat shutdown comes a day after a special tribunal which deals with war crime cases, sentenced two Jamaat leaders to three months in jail for their derogatory and contemptuous remarks about the trial of several stalwarts of the party which was opposed to Bangladesh's struggle for independence.
Jamaat lawmaker Hamidur Rahman Azad and the party's acting deputy Rafiqul Islam Khan were sentenced in absentia by the controversial International Crimes Tribunal, which is trying Islamists and others for war crimes.

The country's main opposition party and Jamaat's crucial ally, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said unlike previous several such occasions, they did not support the shutdown called by their fundamentalist partner in the 18-party opposition alliance.