DHAKA: The 60-hour nonstop countrywide shutdown, enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance, began on Monday morning amid stray incidents of violence.

The 18-party alliance is observing the shutdown demanding restoration of poll-time non-party caretaker government system

The hartal started from 6:00am Monday and will continue till 6pm Wednesday.

Hartal supporters torched a passenger bus of Balaka Poribahan in Tongi Mill gate area at around 7:30am.

Some passengers were injured while trying to get down from the bus in a hurry.

Meanwhile, large contingents of security forces including Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel, Detective Branch (DB) of police and other detective agencies have been deployed around the capital to thwart sabotage by the hartal supporters.

Law enforcers have been seen active at every important points including Rampura, Badda, Progoti Sarani, Malibagh, Mouchak, Khilgaon, Kamalapur, Banglamotor, Maghbazar, Shahbagh, Paltan, Matojheel, Kakrail, Fakirapul, Jatrabari, Farmagate, Mirpur and Gabtoli of the city.

On behalf of the 18-party, acting secretary general of the opposition BNP Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the hartal at the Chairperson’s Gulshan office on Saturday (November 2).

While announcing the movement, BNP leader said, in the name of imposing section 144, government has stopped all political activities of the opposition which has forced us to go for strict movements.

Pre-Hartal Violence

Miscreants torched at least ten vehicles in the city ahead of 60-hour hartal called by BNP-led 18-party alliance demanding non-party polls-time government.

Police sources said a staff bus of Janata Bank was torched near Motijheel Ideal School around 10:00am, while another bus set afire near BSTI office in Tejgaon area around 11:45am.

Besides, at least 10 people injured while miscreants vandalized then torched a bus near Genda area of Savar upazila around 6.00pm.

Earlier, the 18-party alliance observed another 60-hour hartal, on demand of poll-time non-party caretaker government, from 6.00am October 27 (Sunday) to 6.00pm of October 29 (Tuesday).

BDST: 0840 HRS, NOV 04, 2013
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