BANGLADESH

A purportedly Jamaat-e-Islami activist died when the opposition supporters clashed with police in Rajshahi City on Monday.

The deceased, Shafiqul Islam Shafique, was a receptionist at the town's Islami Medical College Hospital, his brother Rafiqul Islam told .

Police also detained 47 people during the clash in the afternoon.

Main opposition BNP's Rajshahi metropolitan unit will enforce a half-day general strike in the city from 6am on Tuesday in protest at the death and arrests.

Former Rajshahi mayor and city unit chief Mizanur Rahman Minu announced the shutdown at a press briefing held at the city BNP unit office in the evening.

Several Rajshahi unit leaders of Jamaat, a key ally of BNP, did not receive phone calls made to ask for their comments.

Rajshahi Metropolitan Police commissioner Mohammad Obaidullah confirmed the incident but claimed that Shafique was not shot by police.

Monday's event is an echo to Sunday's clashes between police and opposition BNP activists which left four people dead in Chandpur and Laxmipur during BNP's processions across the country.

Eyewitnesses said Jamaat activists took out the procession in the city as part of the opposition's antigovernment agitation in the afternoon. Violence erupted when police obstructed their procession.

Commissioner Obaidullah told that police only fired rubber bullets and teargas shells to disperse the gathering. "One has died during the clash. But police did not fire any bullet."

Two Jamaat activists including Shafique were injured in the clash. He died on his way to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

A RMCH doctor seeking anonymity told Shafique was brought in dead. When asked about his wounds, he said the doctors had not examined the wounds and nothing could be said before the post mortem.

His brother said Shafique was not involved with any political party.

"Police obstructed the procession as they took it out to create chaos. That's why they assaulted the police," the police official said.

Minu, however, claimed, "Police attacked the Jamaat leaders and activists while they were preparing for the four-party-alliance procession in the city's Loknath School. One of the Jamaat activists died from their bullets."

In a media release on late Monday evening BNP declared a three-day nationwide mourning to protest what it said were the deaths of antigovernment 'demonstrators' in police firing on processions on Sunday and Monday.

The programmes include raising black flags at party offices, lowering the party flag, protest rallies at the district and Upazila headquarters on Tuesday and special prayers at mosques on Feb 3.