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Two hundred and sixty-two undertrials had been herded into two windowless lock-ups designed to accommodate 40 each, leading to the death of two persons and injury to six others on Thursday.
Normal life was disrupted as most shops and establishments were closed and vehicles kept off the roads.
Congress MLA Sabitri Mitra was arrested when she led her party workers in blocking National Highway 34 at Rathbari area of Malda town to enforce the bandh.
Mitra was later released on furnishing a personal bond.
Congress activists alleged that Mitra was injured when police resorted to a lathicharge.
The Trinamool Congress and the Malda Bar Association had extended moral support to the ban with the latter taking out a procession protesting against the custody deaths and demanding severe punishment to the guilty.
However, district Superintendent of Police Pankaj Dutta described as ''very poor'' the response to the bandh, adding bandh supporters had damaged two state-owned buses.
State buses plied as per schedule and the national highway remained open to vehicular traffic while banks and post offices functioned normally and many educational institutions remained open, he said.
Movement of trains were also unaffected, he said.
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