The 6:00am to 2:00pm shutdown had comparatively little impact on public life in the capital. Comparing to earlier hartals, a lot of passenger buses and private vehicles plied on the city streets. Pickets were also minimal at key points during the hartal hours.

Different government and private organisations and banks functioned normally and attendance was almost normal. But educational institutions across the country remained closed.

Police picked up 24 people, most of them reportedly innocent pedestrians, from different parts of the city during the shut down.

In Lalbagh, law enforcers clubbed and dispersed AL activists when they made an attempt to bring out a procession in the morning.

An AL press release claimed police charged baton on AL processions in Pallabi and Dhanmondi, injuring about 15 leaders and activists, and picked up seven.

Some senior leaders and workers stayed in front of the party central office on Bangabandhu Avenue during the hartal hours.

They brought out separate processions inside the barbed wire fences twice. AL presidium member Motiya Chowdhury, city AL General Secretary Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Sramik Legue President Abdul Matin Master and other leaders took part.

Police barred a procession led by former lawmaker Dr HBM Iqbal and picked up three in Farmgate at 10:00am.

AL Mahila League marched in procession from Purana Paltan to Motijheel but was intercepted by police.

Some AL lawmakers brought out another procession from the Jatiya Sangsand Bhaban at around 10:30am. They marched on Mirpur Road to hold a rally at Russell Square.

Lawmakers Mohammad Nasim, Opposition Chief Whip Abdus Shahid, Talukder Abdul Khaleq, Dr Abdur Razzak, Shahjahan Khan, Panchanan Biswas, Mostafizur Rahman, Ekabbar Hossain and AL leader Abdul Matin Khashru and Jubo League leader Jahangir Kabir Nanak were present.

Nasim, son of the jail killing victim M Monsur Ali, said his family and the people of the country have rejected the verdict. He alleged the verdict was made at the whim of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Law Minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed.