A half-day nationwide general strike enforced by the Left Democratic Alliance (LDA) in protest against the rising prices of fuel, fertilizers and daily essentials was observed almost peacefully on Thursday. The strike began around 6am and ended at 12 noon. Dozens of LDA activists brought out a procession from DU campus, which culminated at Paltan. Student organisations, backed by left- leaning political parties, were seen observing their pre-announced protest programme at Dhaka University, and an Elephant Road, Banglamotor, Kataban, Nilkhet and New Market areas in support of the half-day strike. Also read: Half-day strike against rising cost of living in Bangladesh underway However, three LDA members were allegedly injured after cops charged batons to disperse their protest rally against rising cost of living at Shahbag junction. “We were marching towards Shahbag intersection from the Banglamotor area peacefully when around 50 policemen, led by assistant deputy commissioner (Ramna zone) Harun-or-Rashid, swooped on us all of a sudden, injuring three of our activists,” said Rajib Kanti, president of the Chhatra Front’s Dhaka University (DU) unit. The injured LDA activists are currently undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), he added. Hospitals, hotels, pharmacies and vehicles engaged in providing emergency services were kept out of the purview of the strike. Also read: Petrol pump owners threaten strike on Aug 31 At a press conference on Wednesday at Mukti Bhaban in the capital, LDA coordinator and CPB General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince called upon the country’s people to observe the strike with their spontaneous presence on the streets and also to mount pressure on the government to stop the process of increasing the prices of electricity and gas. Stating that people are going through immense sufferings due to the rise in the prices of fuel and commodities, he warned that LDA will announce bigger programmes in the future if the government does not respond to their demands after the general strike. In an abrupt move, the government increased the prices of diesel, octane and petrol by 42.5 per cent, 51.7 per cent and 51 per cent, respectively, on August 5. Currently, diesel is being sold at Tk 114 per litre, octane at Tk 135 per litre and petrol at Tk 130 per litre, pushing up the prices of all essential items. On August 17, the country's main opposition BNP extended its support to the LDA’s strike. Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the announcement at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.

Police charged baton and used water cannon to disperse supporters of the half-day hartal enforced by Left Democratic Alliance (LDA) protesting the price hike of daily essentials at Paltan intersection in the city on Monday. Riaz Montu, one of the hartal supporters, said, “We were staging demonstrations peacefully. But police charged baton on us around 12pm.” The half-day nationwide hartal enforced by Left Democratic Alliance (LDA) to protest the soaring prices of edible oil, other essential commodities and utility services ended at 12 pm. Also read: Hartal: 10 LDA men hurt in a clash with police in N’ganj Hartal supporters brought out processions in the city’s Paltan intersection and held sit-in programmes, halting the vehicular movement from Kakrail to GPO intersection and Press Club to Dainik Bangla intersection in the morning. Left-leaning leaders, students and activists also blocked Shahbagh intersection. Vehicular movement from Science Lab to Shahbagh, Farmgate to Shahbagh and Press Club to Shahbagh remained halted for several hours, causing severe gridlocks that also spread to other parts of the capital, said Assistant Commissioner (Traffic-Shahbagh) Md Nurun Nabi. Also read: Half-day hartal protesting price hike of essentials underway The hartal began at 6am and continued till 12pm. On March 11, the LDA called the nationwide half-day hartal.

At least 23 leaders and activists of Left Democratic Alliance (LDA), including chief coordinator of Ganasanghati Andolan Zonayed Saki, were injured as police charged baton on their procession in Matsyabhaban area of the city on Monday.