Vehicles torched as first day blockade underway

11:25 am

Two pick-up vans were set on fire in the Bandar area of Narayanganj on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway on Tuesday morning.

Locals said a group of youth suddenly started pelting brick chips at the moving vehicles at Madanpur around 7:45 am. They torched two goods-laden pick-up vans there.

Bandar police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) said they would bring the perpetrators to book. 

11:15 am

Miscreants torched a bus in the EPZ area of Chattogram city in the morning.

9:25 am

In support of the blockade, BNP leaders and activists led by its Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi brought out a procession this morning. They paraded from Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road to Signboard area.

In the capital, BNP men led by its Dhaka south city unit Senior Joint Convener Nabiullah Nabi brought out a procession in the Jatrabari-Matuail Bishwa Road area.

Nabi alleged that the police suddenly baton-charged the party activists and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse them. Several activists got injured in the incident, he added.  

BNP and like-minded opposition parties enforced a three-day countrywide blockade of road, rail and waterways which began this morning to press home their demand for the resignation of the ruling Awami League government and holding the next general election under a non-party, neutral administration.

Awami League has vowed to resist any violence during the blockade.

The police have also taken up positions and set up checkpoints at the entry points and all major points of Dhaka. 

After observing a day-long hartal on Sunday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the countrywide blockade for three consecutive days from 31 October-2 November.