11 vehicles set ablaze before start of 48-hour blockade

At least 10 buses and a private car were set ablaze in the streets of Dhaka and districts across Bangladesh on the night before the start of another nationwide blockade called by the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

A local Awami League office in Sirajganj was also targeted and reduced to ashes.

The fire service reported no casualties in the six districts affected by political violence between Saturday evening and Sunday morning, reports bdnews24.com.

The spate of incidents began when a Mirpur Link Paribahan bus was torched in front of Gawsia Market in the capital at 7:30 pm on Saturday, en route from Mirpur to Azimpur. Firefighters from the Palashi Barrack Fire Station quickly intervened and brought the fire under control.

A mere five minutes later, another bus, this time belonging to Green University, was set alight in close proximity on New Elephant Road.

Firefighters from Siddique Bazar Fire Station responded and managed to extinguish the flames. The bus was on its way from Kataban to Mirpur and was severely damaged in the fire.

Shortly after, at 7:55 pm, a Raida Paribahan bus bound for Postgola from Mirpur was set ablaze in Sayedabad. The fire service's control room said two units from Postgola Fire Station were dispatched to battle the flames.

By 10 pm, a bus operated by Manzil Express Paribahan was targeted and ignited in front of Gulistan Patal Market. Siddique Bazar Fire Station responded and successfully extinguished the fire.

Around 12:15 am, a bus from Anabil Transport was torched in the Narayanganj signboard area. Adamjee Fire Station personnel arrived at the scene and brought the fire under control. Simultaneously, in Bhola's Char Fasson New Bus Stand, a Jamuna Express bus was set ablaze, and two local firefighting units extinguished the fire.

Around 1:30 am, a private car was found in flames in front of the Narsingdi Police Lines. Firefighters from Narsingdi fire station worked to extinguish the fire.

The unrest continued, with a bus set ablaze in Matuail Saddam Market around 4 am on Sunday, and a Turag Paribahan bus being targeted at Jatrabari bus stand. Firefighters managed to contain both incidents.

Apart from the vehicular arsons, assailants set fire to an Awami League local office in Sirajganj's Shahjadpur, at around 3 am. Additionally, abandoned car tyres were set alight in Thakurgaon.

The BNP, agitating for the government's resignation and elections under a non-partisan caretaker government, had organised a mass rally at Dhaka's Naya Paltan on Oct 28. The event was marred by deadly clashes with the police, leading the country's largest opposition group to declare a hartal for Oct 29.

They subsequently enforced a nationwide blockad from Oct 31 to Nov 2, with a one-day break. At the end of the shutdown, another 48-hour blockade was announced, slated for Sunday and Monday.

The BNP's call for a blockade has garnered support from like-minded parties, and Jamaat-e-Islami, a long-time ally of the BNP, has initiated a similar programme separately.

Daily reports of vehicles being set on fire have marked the ongoing strike and blockade programmes, leading to loss of lives.