BNP-led alliance’s blockade steps into 26th day

New Age Online

The countrywide indefinite transport blockade, sponsored by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance, entered the 26th day marking with some stray incidents on Saturday.Miscreants set four vehicles afire in Dhaka city and Laxmipur district on Saturday amid the nonstop countrywide blockade, enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance that entered the 26th day.In the capital, a bus was set on fire on Johnson Road near National Medical College and Hospital in old part of the city this morning.Fire service sources said miscreants set fire to the bus of Gabtoli-Sadarghat route around 10:15 am.Three passengers of the bus were injured as they tried to get down hurriedly. They were admitted to National Hospital.On information, a firefighting unit from Sadarghat fire station rushed to the spot and doused the flame.
No procession or picketing was reported in support of the blockade in the capital while vehicles were plying in the city streets as usual, reported private cable TV channels.Law enforcers remained deployed at the important points of the city.

Away in Laxmipur, miscreants set fire to three vehicles, including two CNG-run auto-rickshaws, in separate parts of the district early Saturday.Witnesses said 10/12 miscreants set a cement-laden covered van afire at Poddar Bazar in sadar upazila.Besides, two CNG-run auto-rickshaws were torched by miscreants at Jaksin-Poddar Bazar in Waidpur area of the upazila, said Humayun Kabir, officer-in-charge of Chandraganj Police Earlier, a bus driver was killed as some miscreants hurled a crude bomb at Laksmipur- Begumganj highway on Friday night.The 25th day of the blockade on Friday was largely peaceful except some stray incidents. Miscreants set a bus afire at Tantibazar.At least six people were badly burnt as miscreants hurled firebombs at two buses at Khilgaon and Mirpur in the capital.The anti-government alliance has called a 72-hour countrywide strike on Sunday amid blockade, protesting filing of false cases against its leaders and activists and killing of many of them in ‘gunfights.BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi formally announced the strike in a press release on Friday. Later on early Saturday he was detained from a Baridhara house.BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia called the indefinite blockade from January 6 as the government did not allow her party and its allies to hold protest rallies in the capital.

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