Shawdesh Desk:

The 48-hour blockade, enforced by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies in their ongoing one-point movement, has entered its fourth phase to press home their demand for resignation of the government, dissolving the parliament and holding the next general election under a neutral government.

Reports received from all the divisional headquarters and different districts said that no long-route bus left the cities and district towns on Sunday morning while opposition activists brought out processions, mostly short lived, supporting the blockade.

In Dhaka, public transport movements inside the capital are lower than the normal days while the number of private cars is thin on the streets.

Reports received from Gabtali, Sayedabad and Mahakhali bus terminals said that the long-route buses did not leave the terminals in the morning and the staff of different bus transport companies said that they were not getting adequate number of passengers while there were security concerns for plying buses on the roads.

A total of nine buses were torched in Dhaka and elsewhere in Bangladesh in 10 hours ending 6:00am on Sunday, according to Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters.

Of the torching incidents, seven were reported in Dhaka and one each was reported from Gazipur and Barishal districts and the fire service officials said that the incidents were committed by unidentified people.

In the Gabtali bus terminal area, the major terminal for North Bengal-bound buses, long-route buses remained off the streets and most of the ticket counters are found to be closed.

A few numbers of inter-district buses those ply between Dhaka-Manikganj route were seen on the streets with passengers in the morning.

The Border Guard Bangladesh authorities said that they have 152 platoons force across the country, including 27 in Dhaka and adjacent districts, to help law enforcers in maintaining law and order situation during the countrywide blockade.