The hartal was called by the Citizens' Action Council at a press conference held on May 28.

A procession was brought out in the city and a meeting was also held at Shaheb Bazaar zero point last evening to drum up support for the hartal.

The speakers expressed their anguish over police failure to make any headway into the case within a month because of what they said 'influence exerted by ruling BNP stalwarts'.

Advocate Khairul Alam chaired the meeting while it was addressed, among others, by child rights worker Rajab Ali, Nokkon Shilpi Gosthi president Hasib Panna and social worker Moniruzzaman Bablu.

Mafroza Begum Mili, 11, a student of class five of PN Government Girls' High School was raped and strangled at their rented house on May 3.

Fifty political, social, cultural and professional organisations including Awami League, Rajshahi Rakkha Sangram Parishad, Sammilito Sangskritik Jote, Allied Council for Professionals expressed their solidarity with the programme of the action committee.

The case is being investigated by the criminal investigation department (CID) following people's demand.

Earlier, police arrested the house owner's son Fazle Rabbi Rion, his relative Saiduzzaman Minar and their neighbour Fazlur Rahman and remanded thrice, but they could not find out any clue of the murder.