Blockade in Expressway, traffic on various routes closedWidespread sabotage across the country surrounding Awami League's lockdown

The entire country has become heated over the lockdown announced by the Awami League, which has banned activities in the wake of the verdict in Sheikh Hasina's anti-humanity case. Massive incidents of sabotage have been taking place in Dhaka and its surrounding districts since last night.

According to the latest information, in various parts of the country, protesters had created panic by throwing petrol bombs and setting fire to buses, trucks, trains, CNG, railway lines, important government establishments and a Grameen Bank branch, as well as exploding cocktails and burning tires. In addition, protesters have attacked, vandalized and thrown crude bombs at police vans.

Blockade on Bhanga expressway

The Dhaka-Khulna Highway and Barisal Highway have been blocked at several places in Bhanga Upazila of Faridpur.

Since early Thursday morning, Awami League leaders and activists in Suyadi, Pukhuria and Pulia areas, armed with shields, swords, shards, ramdas, katras, and tetas, started protesting by burning tires and blocking the roads. They chanted various slogans.

Awami League leaders and activists have blocked roads at three places in Bhanga, cause suspension of all types of vehicles on the Bhanga-Dhaka Expressway and Faridpur-Barisal highway.

Crude bombs thrown at police van in Shariatpur, truck set on fire

Traffic on the Shariatpur-Dhaka route was closed due to the 'Dhaka Lockdown' program. Protesters blocked the Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway in front of the Padma Bridge from 6 am to 9 am.

Awami League leaders and activists have blocked the 31-kilometer long Padma Bridge-Bhanga expressway by blocking it with tree trunks at least five places in the Naodoba area of ​​Jajira in Shariatpur. During this, the protesters attacked, vandalized and threw hand grenades at a police van.

Two passenger buses were vandalized and a truck was set on fire in the Tastarkandi area around 7 am. Fire service personnel brought the fire under control after receiving information.

During this time, panic was created by exploding cocktails and burning tires. Protesters also marched separately on the road. Police have arrested three suspects in this incident.

Petrol bomb thrown at PWD Office in Gopalganj, car set on fire

Miscreants threw several petrol bombs at the Public Works Office in Gopalganj amid the 'lockdown', causing a car in the office to catch fire.

The incident took place on Model School Road in the city around 4:30 am today, Thursday (November 13).

Public Works Department authorities said that unknown persons threw a petrol bomb in the office premises in the early hours of the morning. This set a car on fire. The employees quickly extinguished the fire after realizing the incident. The incident spread panic in the area.

Abdur Rahim, a security guard at the Public Works Office, said, "Someone threw a petrol bomb in the early hours of the morning. It set a car on fire. We later realized it and put out the fire."

Petrol bomb thrown at Grameen Bank in Gopalganj

Miscreants threw petrol bombs at the Grameen Bank's Ulpur branch building in Sadar Upazila of Gopalganj late on Wednesday night.

Police said that miscreants threw 5-6 petrol bombs from a black microbus late at night. One of the bombs exploded. However, there was no damage to Grameen Bank.

Meanwhile, miscreants created a roadblock by planting trees on the Dhaka-Khulna highway in Chandradighalia area of ​​Sadar upazila at around 3:30 am. This blocked traffic on the road. On receiving information, the police and army went to remove the trees and normalized traffic.

Meanwhile, the situation is tense across the district due to the lockdown. Strict security measures have been taken across the district.

Bus catches fire in Jessore, slum dwellers barely escape

Miscreants set fire to a bus named 'Rahin Special' parked in an area adjacent to a park in the suburbs of Jessore town, narrowly saving the slum dwellers living nearby.

The incident took place on Thursday (November 13) morning. Police visited the scene after receiving information. The bus's seats and various mechanical parts were burnt in the fire, but the engine remained intact.

Locals said that after the Fajr prayers, they suddenly saw a fire inside the bus. When they got closer, they saw that there was no one inside, but the fire was spreading quickly. Immediately, residents of the nearby slum rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control after about 20 minutes of effort.

Locals claim that since the bus was parked next to a suburban slum, if the fire had spread to the slum, numerous houses would have been destroyed in an instant. Their quick action prevented a major accident.

In this regard, Inspector (Investigation) of Jessore Kotwali Police Station, Kazi Babul Islam, said, "Initially, it seems that the window next to the driver's seat was broken and the inside was set on fire. The night guard, who was regularly at the scene, had gone to a nearby shop for tea. On the other hand, the supervisor was also on his way home at the time."

He added that an investigation into the incident is underway and the police have begun work to identify the perpetrators.

Fire on rail track in Brahmanbaria

A railway track was set on fire in Brahmanbaria. The incident took place at around 1:45 am on Wednesday (November 12) in the Dubla area (along the Akhaura-Chinar road) of Sadar Upazila.

The arson incident on the railway line came amid incidents of arson and cocktail explosions at various vehicles and establishments across the country surrounding the Awami League's Dhaka lockdown program on Thursday (November 13), which banned activities.

The fire caused disruption to train services for some time. The Chittagong-bound Turna Nishita Paghachong and the Bijoy Express on the same route were stranded at Brahmanbaria railway station. However, train services returned to normal after half an hour.

Confirming the incident, Akhaura Railway Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) SM Shafiqul Islam said, "The miscreants set fire to a plastic pipe on the railway line. Upon receiving the information, we rushed to the spot with police personnel at around 3:15 am. The miscreants fled before we reached the spot. However, train movement was normal."

Passenger bus catches fire on Dhaka-Tangail highway

Miscreants set fire to a passenger bus on the Dhaka-Tangail highway. The Bangla Star Paribahan bus was set on fire in the Baaikhola area of ​​Basail around 12 midnight on Wednesday.

Miscreants had also set tyres on fire at the same place on Thursday morning. At the same time, miscreants had also set tyres on fire in the Pauli area of ​​the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge highway. Later, the police went and brought the fire under control.

Gorai Highway Police Station OC Md. Sarwar Hossain said, there was a traffic jam for several kilometers due to the accident in the Baoikhola area. In the meantime, a Pabna-bound Bangla Star Paribahan bus caught fire.

He also said that later the fire service members brought the fire under control. The bus driver and helper said that there was a noise behind the passenger bus. Later, when the bus caught fire, the passengers and the driver helper got out. It is not yet certain whether it was a petrol bomb.

Buses set on fire in Dholaipar and Pallavi

Miscreants set fire to a passenger bus parked on Sagupta Road in the capital's Pallavi area. The fire service rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control at 12:10 am on Wednesday after receiving information about the fire on the bus.

A few hours before this incident, miscreants set fire to a passenger bus in Dholaipar in the capital around 6:30 pm. The fire service also arrived there quickly and brought the fire under control.

The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are not yet known. However, no casualties were reported in the two incidents.

Locals believe that miscreants set the bus on fire. The people around were terrified when they suddenly saw the fire in the quiet of the night.

Fire breaks out in parked truck in Munshiganj

A fire broke out in a truck parked in Gazaria, Munshiganj. Paper goods in the truck were burnt, causing a loss of about two lakh taka.

The incident took place in front of Akij Paper Mill adjacent to Anarpura bus stand in Gazaria upazila at around 3:30 am on Wednesday (November 12).

Locals said they saw a fire in a truck loaded with jute on the Gazaria section of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway at night. The fire spread quickly as the truck was carrying cardboard goods. Locals initially tried to extinguish it. Later, the fire service arrived and brought the fire under control after about 45 minutes of effort.

Gazaria Fire Service Station Officer Md. Firoz Mia said, "We received the information at 3:40 am. We were able to bring the fire under control within 10 minutes of reaching the spot, but it took about 45 minutes to completely extinguish it. The truck was carrying old cardboard goods brought for paper making. Goods worth about 2 lakh taka were burnt, but we were able to salvage goods worth about 1.4 lakh taka."

He added, "The truck driver and assistant were sleeping inside at the time of the incident, and jumped out upon seeing the fire. We believe that someone from outside intentionally set the fire."

Md. Shawkat Hossain, in-charge of the Ghazaria Bhaberchar Highway Police Outpost, said, "It is difficult to say for sure whether someone deliberately set the fire or not. However, the incident happened. Since then, police activity has been increased in the Ghazaria section of the highway."

Fire breaks out in abandoned train compartment in Tejgaon, 2 held

Miscreants set fire to an abandoned train compartment at Tejgaon railway station in the capital. Initially, there were reports of a fire on the railway line, but it was later revealed that an abandoned compartment was set on fire. The incident took place at around 9:30 pm on Wednesday (November 12).

Dhaka Railway Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Joynal Abedin said miscreants set fire to an abandoned train compartment in Tejgaon. Two seats in the compartment were burnt during the incident. Two people were arrested red-handed.

The arrested persons are Morshed (40) and Zakir (25). The Railway Police Station OC also said that legal action is under process in this regard.

CNG set on fire in Narayanganj

Miscreants set fire to a CNG tank in Jalkuri, Siddhirganj, Narayanganj. The incident took place at 9:30 pm on Wednesday (November 12) in front of the office of the Youth Development Department in Ward No. 9 of Siddhirganj.

According to police sources, two passengers from Chashara rented a CNG for 120 taka to go to the signboard. When the CNG reached the Jalkuri area, they asked the CNG driver to stop, saying that another person would board the CNG. At that time, they set the CNG on fire and fled on a bike. The driver escaped from being burned when he immediately got out of the CNG.

In this regard, Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Operations) of Narayanganj district, Tarek Al Mehedi, said, "Two youths, approximately 30-35 years old, committed this incident. We are working to arrest them. It is believed that the miscreants are activists and supporters of Awami League or one of its affiliates and allied organizations."

He also said, "No major accident occurred as the CNG fire was extinguished immediately. Police are currently at the scene. According to the driver, we will take legal action against those involved."

In the past few days, there has been an increaseing incidents of bomb explosions and vehicle arson in various areas of the capital, causing extreme panic among the residents.

The police and fire service are on high alert to deal with the ongoing situation, said concerned officials.