Shawdesh Desk: Few roads were blocked, including Dhaka-Paturia Highway in front of Jahanagirnagar University, during countrywide hartal called by the Left Democratic Alliance for eight hours on Sunday protesting against gas price hike.

Severe congestion was, however, seen on other roads in Dhaka, as the combine of seven left parties blocked Shahbagh, Kakrail and Purana Paltan crossings until noon.

The alliance, after the hartal, announced that it would lay siege to the power, energy and mineral resources ministry on July 14 after holding a rally in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on the day. They would also go out on demonstration in district headquarters on the same day.

A representatives’ meeting would also be held on July 19 in Dhaka to announce non-stop programme if the government failed to withdraw the hiked price by the day.

On June 30, the government raised gas prices by 32.8 per cent on an average for the retail consumers in the country with effect from July 1.

Roads were blocked at places, including the Dhaka-Paturia Highway in front of Jahangirnagar University, during the strike hours and police also intercept the pickets at places across the country.

Severe traffic congestion was seen on roads in the capital as the combine of seven left leaning parties brought out processions and blocked crossing at places, including Shahbagh, Purana Paltan and Kakrail in Dhaka during the general strike.

The alliance also called the hartal also demanding reduction of cylinder gas price and protesting at the budget for 2019-20 financial year, terming it a budget to create people’s sufferings.

Police picked up pro-hartal activists at Paltan in Dhaka and at Jaipurhat but released them afterwards. Police barred pro-hartal activities at places including Khulna, Jaipurhat, Rangpur and Chandpur, reports received from the districts said.

Educational institutions at places in Dhaka remained closed for the day. A good number of police personnel were seen deployed at different points in Dhaka, especially at Purana Paltan, Press Club, Kakrail and Shahbagh areas.

Though the presence of vehicles on roads was thin in the capital in the morning, the number increased as time elapsed.

Towards the end of the hartal hours, the alliance coordinator Mosharrof Hossain Nannu, also general secretary of United Communist League, addressing the concluding rally at Purana Paltan, thanked the countrymen for cooperating the leftists to enforce the hartal.

Khalequzzaman, general secretary of the Socialist Party of Bangladesh, said that the increased of gas price would increase sufferings of the people.

Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Mohammad Shah Alam alleged that increase of gas price was unjustified and it would satisfy the interests of the rich and the looters.

Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki said that prices of all essential commodities would go up and house rent and transport fares would also increase for gas price hike.

Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh general secretary Saiful Huq said that government had transformed the country into a police state.

SPB (Marxist) central leader Manas Nandi, Samajtantrik Andolan convener Hamidul Haque and Democratic Revolutionary Party central leader Liaquat Ali also spoke.

Leaders and activists of the alliance took to the streets at Purana Paltan, Bijaynagar and Kakrail at around 6:30am. Some of them vandalized a bus at Purana Paltan.

They also barred movement of vehicles at Purna Paltan and Bijaynagar areas by felling sewerage pipes on the road, halting traffic movement towards Gulistan, Sadarghat and Matijheel areas from Kakrail.

Over 100 leaders and activists of Pragatishil Chhatra Jote, a combine of left leaning student organisations, brought out a procession from Dhaka University’s TSC area at about 7:00am and marched towards Science Laboratory intersection via Shahbagh.

They also gathered at Shahbagh and stopped vehicular movement burning tyres and chanting slogans.

The pickets also blocked Topkhana Road for about half an hour until 9:30am.

Nagarik Oikya, that extended their support to the hartal, also brought out a procession from its office at Topkhana Road.

At Savar, Pragatishil Chhatra Jote blocked Dhaka-Aricha highway at Jahangirnagar University’s main gate for an hour until 10:00am, reports the correspondent the university.

In Khulna, police raided the Khulna district and city unit office of Communist Party of Bangladesh Saturday night and early Sunday and did not allow the alliance leaders to bring out any procession from the office. They were forced to hold a rally in police confinement on Lower Jashore Road.

In Rangpur, the alliance brought out separate processions from local press club in the city but police obstructed the processions at Grand Hotel crossing and at Jahaj Company crossing and diverted the processions towards press club again.

New Age correspondent in Sylhet reported that no long route bus left the city during hartal hours. LDA activists went on picket at Court Point, Surma Point, Ambarkhana, Dhopadighir Par, Subhanighat and Bandar Bazar.

In Chattogram, LDA leaders and activists held rallies at New Market, Kadamtali, Tiger Pass, Andarkillah, Cinema Palace and GEC intersections, New Age correspondent reported.

In Jaipurhat, police picked up Akkelpur unit CPB general secretary Abu Hasan Sardar from a procession supporting the hartal in the district town but released him after sometimes.

LDA also brought out processions in Rajshahi and Gaibandha, reports received from the districts said.