At least three vehicles were set on fire in Dhaka as a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal called by BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami is underway Sunday.
A Shikar Paribahan bus was set on fire at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Sunday morning.
Fire Service Control Room duty officer Ershad Hossain said that the incident happened around 8:05am.
Receiving the information, the fire service personnel rushed to spot immediately and doused the fire, he added.
Meanwhile, a Paristhan Paribahan bus was set on fire at Mohammadpur Town Hall area of the capital at around 10:22am.
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A Bihanga Paribahan bus was set on fire in Tatibazar area of old Dhaka at around 10:28am, said Fire Service Control Room duty officer Ershad Hossain.
Both fires were immediately doused by the fire service, according to the media cell of Fire Service and Civil Defence.
Three BRTC buses were vandalised at a bus counter in Dhaka’s Uttara at around 9 am, said Md. Shariful Islam, public relations officer at BGB headquarters.
Dhaka streets were empty as BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami are observing 12 hours of hartal from dawn to dusk, protesting the attack on BNP's grand rally at Naya Paltan in the capital Saturday.
The rally was organised to demand that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina steps down to allow a non-partisan caretaker administration to hold the upcoming national election due in next January
Commuters have reported a lack of public transport on the roads following a day of political violence that resulted in the death of two people including a policeman and dozens of vehicles burnt all across the capital.
“There are a few personal vehicles and public transport on the road,” one commuter wrote on Traffic Alert, a Facebook group providing round-the-clock information about the road situation in Dhaka and across the country.
Images and videos on social media from various points of the capital including, Airport, Banani, Mohakhali, Sangsad Bhaban and Moghbazar areas showed almost deserted streets amidst the ongoing hartal.
A large number of law enforcers from Police, RAB and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed at multiple important points across Dhaka to tackle any untoward incident.
Meanwhile, activists of the ruling Awami League and its associate bodies including Jubo League and Chhatra League were seen on the streets with party banners alongside the law enforcers.
Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan confirmed that rail communication at Kamalapur Railway Station is being operated normally.
Leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami brought out a procession in the city's Madartek area around 8am today in support of the hartal.
Launch operation at Sadarghat terminal was seen as normal but there were few passengers.
UNB Natore correspondent reports, AL and Jubo League activists were seen patrolling different areas of Natore city with sticks and taking positions at bus terminals and important places since morning.
However, there were no passengers at the bus terminals. In this situation, a local bus left Natore for Dhaka around 8am.
Natore District Bus Owners Association General Secretary Mujibur Rahman said that the bus movement will be kept normal.
Train service is also normal since morning in the district.
No one from BNP or its associate organisations was seen on the streets in support of the hartal in Natore.
