The first day of the 48-hour nationwide hartal (shutdown) sponsored by the Jamaat-e-Islami is progressing peacefully across the country today.

Jamaat enforced the hartal since 6:00am today protesting the government's "conspiracy" to kill its leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman.

No picketing was reported from anywhere around the country till 10:00am when the report was filed.

Vehicular movement was thin on key streets in Dhaka compared to normal days.

A key component of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, Jamaat, announced the shutdown immediately after the Supreme Court upheld its previous verdict on Kamaruzzaman, rejecting his petition to review his death sentence.

On May 9, 2013, the ICT-2 had sentenced Kamaruzzaman to death for his crimes committed against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.