Around 50 persons were injured during clashes between the hartal supporters and law enforcers--ruling BNP activists, in some cases--at different places of the country while police picked up around 27 opposition activists in the capital.

Pickets damaged a number of vehicles in the capital while the law enforcers charged batons on processions during the shutdown from 6:00am to 6:00pm.

The police also foiled hartal supporters' bid to bring out processions at Motijheel, Gulistan, Mohakhali, Russell Square and old part of the city. They cordoned off the AL central office on Bangabandhu Avenue and prevented party leaders and workers from bringing out processions.

The 14-party opposition alliance enforced the countrywide hartal to protest the death of Awami Swechchha Sebak League leader Golam Mostafa Milon on Sunday and force the government to accept its electoral reform proposals.

Sherpur district was kept out of the hartal due to local AL leader Abu Bakar's death. Abu Bakar, a veteran freedom fighter, died at Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital on Monday.

Shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed during the hartal while vehicles, except a few autorickshaws and buses, stayed off the streets in Dhaka. Attendance in government and semi-government offices was also thin.

A large number of police and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel were deployed at different important points in the capital.

Scene in the CapitalThe police intercepted an Awami Jubo Mahila League procession at Russell Square in Dhanmondi and dragged three pickets to a police van, leading to scuffles between the female activists of the main opposition and policewomen at about 10:40am.

The police severely beat up activist Sonali Mallik and picked up two other female activists--Lovely and Nasrin--from the spot.

Later, the angry opposition workers damaged three vehicles including two minibuses passing through the Russell Square.

The opposition leaders and workers staged demonstrations in the morning at Mohakhali where opposition leader Milon was killed on Sunday.

Led by AL Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed, the opposition men brought out a procession at about 9:30am on Mohakhali-Gulshan road and chanted slogans blaming the BNP-led four-party alliance government and the police for the killing.

The police intercepted and chased the activists to disperse the procession. This prompted the opposition men to throw stones at the law enforcers.

They held a rally in front of Titumeer College around 11:40am where Tofail vowed to continue the agitation against the four-party alliance government until the opposition's demands are met.

"Through street agitation we will compel the government to implement the reforms in the caretaker government system and the Election Commission," he said.

Meanwhile, the police prevented senior 14-party leaders ASHK Sadek, Mainuddin Khan Badal and Dilip Barua from joining the opposition programmes in the area.

They also picked up a hartal supporter who allegedly damaged a minibus on the Mohakhali-Gulshan road.

An AL procession led by party legislator Asaduzzaman Noor from Motijheel was intercepted by the police at Noor Hossain Square at 11:40am. The law enforcers picked up two activists from the scene.

Asaduzzaman Noor argued with the police for release of the activists. At one stage, the police charged batons on the opposition men, leaving 10 injured.

At about 10:30am, opposition activists led by AL leader Dr Mostafa Jalal Mahiuddin brought out a procession in Lalbagh area. Some hartal supporters damaged a taxicab in the English Road area.

The police chased to disperse another group of pickets near Tantibazar at noon when the demonstrators started to throw stones at the law enforcers.

Hartal elsewhereOur correspondent in Rajshahi reports: At least five AL leaders and workers were injured in the city while pickets ransacked Bangladesh Railway offices and assaulted railway officials in the morning.

The police intercepted and picked up one when pickets were pelting stones at the railway office. Other pickets, however, snatched the activist from the law enforcers.

They also damaged six motorcycles at different points in the city.

A correspondent from Pabna reports that at least five were injured when pickets damaged a local motorised vehicle at about 11:00am at Library Bazar in the town.

Of the injured, the condition of the vehicle's driver Babu, 30, was critical. He was rushed to Pabna General Hospital.

Our Barisal correspondent has reported clashes between the pro- and anti-hartal activists that left at least 23 people injured.

The hartal supporters ransacked at least 15 rickshaws in Court Road, Chowrasta, Bandghat and other areas in Patuakhali.

Clashes ensued as activists of Jubo Dal tried to resist Jubo League men from creating obstacles to vehicular movements on the Patuakhali-Kalapara road at about 11:00am.

Our correspondent from Jhenidah reports: At least six persons were injured during a clash between the activists of AL and BNP at Maheshpur in the town.

The clash started when the BNP men chased an AL procession in the town. The AL men hurled brickbats at the BNP men.

Our Khagrachhari correspondent adds: BNP men beat up Bangladesh Chhatra League leader Hasanul Haque Patowari, 25, in the presence of police.

Sources said Sub-Inspector Nurul Islam was present at the scene but made no efforts to rescue Hasanul from the BNP activists. The ruling party men handed over Hasanul to the police.