DHAKA: The second phase of countrywide 72-hour hartal, called by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami protesting its Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami’s death sentence, is underway from Sunday dawn.

However, the 48-hour shutdown, beginning from 6:00am, will end on Tuesday morning.

Earlier, Jamaat marked the first phase of the strike across the country amid stray incidents of picketing, beginning from 6:00am Thursday to 6:00am Friday.

Jamaat announced the hartal on Wednesday minutes after International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) handed down death sentence to its Ameer on charges of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

On the other hand, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel have already been deployed across the country to avert any untoward situation on Saturday night ahead of the hartal.

Nevertheless, Khulna city will remain out of purview of the hartal for Monday for the second test cricket match between Bangladesh and visiting Zimbabwe.

BDST: 0821 HRS, NOV 02, 2014