­The strike was organized by Jamaat e Islami in protest against the trials of the organization's leaders, who are charged with war crimes allegedly committed during the country’s 1971 liberation war. During the nationwide protests, rioters have set some 20 cars on fire, including one at the US Embassy in Dhaka.

Police used live ammunition, tear gas and rubber bullets to quell the angry crowd across the nation, as violence was also reported in the cities of Sylhet, Rajshahi and Narayanganj.

Sixty-nine people have been arrested, according to police, while an 18-year-old was shot dead in clashes in the town of Chirirbandar, 300 kilometers from the capital.