50 hurt during Islamists’ protest

At least 50 people, including policemen, were injured in Bangladesh yesterday as Islamist activists protested against the prosecution of their leaders on charges stemming from a war of independence 40 years ago, police and witnesses said.

Protesters set off crude explosives and threw bricks at police who tried to disperse them with teargas, batons and some shots in the air, witnesses said.

“The Islamists vandalised dozens of vehicles and set fire to two buses in Motijheel commercial area and other places in the city,” a police officer said.

Islamist party spokesmen were not available for comment. Police detained about 20 activists, reporters on the scene said, and the disturbances disrupted traffic on city- centre roads.