BNP-Jamaat’s 48-hour blockade underway

Another phase of 48-hour road, rail, and waterways blockade, enforced by BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and like-minded opposition parties, is underway across the country amid arson attacks.

The ongoing blockade started at 6am on Sunday will end at 6am on Tuesday.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the program at a virtual press briefing on Thursday to press home their demand of holding the next general election under a non-partisan government.

Hours before starting of the blockade, four buses were set on fire in Gabtoli, Motijheel, Gulistan and Jatrabari areas of the capital last night.

A bus named ‘Lal Sobuj Paribahan’ was set on fire in front of Notre Dame College in Arambagh area of Motijheel around 8:20pm while another bus named ‘Gabtoli Express’ was torched in front of Gabtoli bus terminal 10 minutes later.

The two other buses were torched in Gulistan and Jatrabari in the capital. Of the the buses, a bus named ‘Somoy Niyontron’ was torched in front of Sundarban Square Market in Gulistan around 9pm while another bus named ‘Anabil Paribahan’ was torched in Jatrabari at 9:27pm.

Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) confirmed the information in a press release.

On information, firefighting units from the respective fire stations rushed to the spots and extinguished the fire.