Stray incidents of violence and vandalism marked the Jamaat-e-Islami called dawn-to-dusk hartal (shutdown) in the city on Thursday.

According to sources concerned, pro-hartal activists clashed with law-enforces at different places during the hartal hours especially in the morning.

In Panchabati area, the Shibir activists put up barricade on Rajshahi-Natore highway after burning tyres. An incident of chase and counter-chase erupted there when the police tried to intervene.

To bring the situation under control, the police fired rubber bullets and detained 10 Shibir activists.

Some other picketers attempted to put up barricade on Rajshahi-Naogaon highway in Airport area. They also pelted stones and hurled cocktails targeting the police. But, the police fired rubber bullets to disperse the picketers.

Another group of pickets vandalized four goods-laden trucks after putting up barricade on Rajshahi-Dhaka highway at Kharkhari. On information, the police dispersed the pickets to bring the situation under control.

Meanwhile, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) set up a security network in the early morning to ensure security of the public assets and lives during the general strike, said SM Munir-Uz-Zaman, commissioner of the RMP.

Besides RAB, additional police and members of the APBN were deployed at all the sensitive points like Shaheb Bazar, Sonadighi, Gourhanga, Binodpur, Laxmipur and Shalbagan to avert any sorts of anarchy, he added.

Ends/AMA/18/07/13