The second day of the countrywide three-day blockade, enforced by the BNP, Jamaat and like-minded opposition parties, is underway today with some incidents of violence and arson attack.
In Dhaka, miscreants tried to set a vehicle on fire around 8 am in Malibagh Chowdhurypara but police chased them away.
Witnesses said, a group of picketers in a procession was seen moving towards Malibagh. When they reached near Abul Hotel, they tried to set a vehicle on fire.
A patrolling team of police chased the picketers, foiling the arson attack attempt. Being chased, the picketers managed to flee the scene, running away into an alley.
Law enforcers were seen at the capital’s Malibagh, Mouchak, Shantinagar and other areas to avert subversive acts.
Buses, CNG-run three wheelers and private vehicles were seen on Dhaka streets this morning.
In Savar, miscreants set a bus on fire on Dhaka-Aricha highway at Baliarpur Turag around 7:30 am.l
Witnesses said a group of 20-25 young men, equipped with sticks, brought out a procession in support of the blockade.
At one stage, they set the bus on fire that was parked near the road, said Dipak Chandra Saha, officer-in-charge of Savar Model Police Station.
Police are trying to arrest the attackers, said the OC.
The first day of the nationwide three-day road-rail-waterway blockade, enforced by the BNP, Jamaat and like-minded opposition parties was marked by violence, including clashes with police and burning vehicles, leaving two persons dead in Kishoreganj and another in Sylhet.
The blockade that started at 6 am on Tuesday will end at 6 pm on Thursday.
BNP, Jamaat and like-minded opposition parties enforced the blockade to mount pressure on the Awami League government to quit and hold the next election under a non-party, neutral administration.
Apart from BNP and Jamaat, the 12-party alliance, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote, LDP, Gonoforum and People’s Party, Gonotantrik Bam Oikya, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Labour Party and NDM are also observing the programme separately.
Meanwhile, AL has vowed to resist any violence during the blockade.
After observing a day-long hartal, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday evening announced the countrywide blockade for three consecutive days.
He, however, said vehicles of newspapers or media, ambulances and vehicles transporting oxygen cylinders and medicines will remain out of the purview of the three-day blockade.
