The day-long shutdown announced by an alliance of 12 Islamic parties began at 6 am (0000 GMT) and passed off mostly peacefully in the first six hours except for a few isolated clashes between police and protesters.
Many schools and businesses remained closed while traffic in Dhaka was thin amid tight security.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Nurul Islam said the government deployed some 10,000 riot police to prevent trouble during the general strike, which the Islamists called Saturday following the interception by police of anti-US processions in Dhaka.
Some Muslims in Bangladesh began street agitation last week after the release of the US-made film Innocence of Muslims. The film sparked violence across the Muslim world.
They were also protesting at the publication of cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed in France.
Bangladesh recently blocked access to the YouTube website, which hosts excerpts of the film. About 90 per cent of Bangladesh’s 160 million people are Muslim.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed and opposition leader Khaleda Zia also condemned the film.
source : http://abna.ir/
