The second day of the countrywide three-day blockade, enforced by the BNP and theJamaat and like-minded opposition parties, was marked by clashes, vandalism and torching of vehicles in Dhaka and elsewhere on Wednesday.
Law enforcers detained more than 100 leaders and activists of the BNP and other opposition parties across the country on the second day of the road, rail and waterways blockade.
The blockade that started at 6am on Tuesday will end at 6 pm on Thursday.
At least 21 incidents of arson were reported across Bangladesh in 24 hours till Wednesday evening during the blockade.
Sources at the media cell of the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters said that they got information about 21 arson attacks across the country on Wednesday.
Among the arson attacks, five occurred in Dhaka city, seven in Dhaka division (Savar, Gazipur, Narayanganj), four each in Chattogram (Karnaphuli, Rangunia, Sitakunda) and Rajshahi (Bogura, Sirajganj) and Rangpur divisions.
Ten buses, three covered vans, three trucks, one pickup, one motorcycle, two commercial goods showrooms and one police box were burnt across the country.
Movement of intra-district and long-route buses was very low but the presence of local vehicles like three-wheelers was noticeable in the capital and other cities and towns.
The gathering of people on the streets was also thin compared to the normal days.
The opposition leaders and activists were seen picketing on different roads across the country, including in the capital, to enforce the blockade. They also engaged in clashes with the law enforcers in different districts, including Dhaka, Bogura, Feni and Sylhet.
In Dhaka, miscreants tried to set a vehicle on fire around 8 am in Malibagh Chowdhurypara but police chased them away.
Read: Opposition blockade: 21 arson attacks reported across country since Tuesday, says Fire Service
Miscreants set a passenger bus of "Itihash Paribahan" on fire beside the Kafrul Police Station on Wednesday afternoon, said Kafrul Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Farukul Alam.
Miscreants set a bus on fire in front of Ideal School in Dhaka’s Mugda area today (November 01, 2023) during the blockade, said fire service sources.
Picketers from a procession in support of the blockade set the bus on fire around 10:55 am, creating panic in the area.
Lima Khanam, duty officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said a firefighting unit rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze.
Miscreants set a bus and truck on fire in separate incidents in Chattogram district.
Zahedur Rahman, duty officer of Rangunia Fire Service and Civil Defence, said miscreants set a truck on fire on Chattogram-Kaptai Road in Rangunia upazila in the morning.
Police detained a man with a crude bomb from the Kadamtali area under Kotwali police station in the port city of Chattogram in the afternoon.
In Sylhet, supporters of BNP’s youth and student wings Jubo and Chhatra Dal and Jamaat-Shibir men clashed with Awami League’s voluntary and student bodies Swechasebak League and Chhatra League in Bandarbazar area at 11:00am. Six Chhatra Dal men were detained from the spot.
At the same time, supporters of BNP and Chhatra Dal took a position on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway, disrupting traffic movement for a while.
Read: Day 2 of blockade: Bus and truck set on fire in Ctg
In Barishal, police detained 11 BNP men including two former lawmakers centering the blockade on Tuesday night and Wednesday.
Chhatra Dal brought out a procession in favour of the blockade on Banda Road in Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital and burnt tyres in the morning.
Though some long-route buses left the city, authorities concerned cancelled their trips due to the shortage of passengers later.
At vulnerable spots, law enforcers were seen patrolling in the city since the morning.
In Khulna, the second day of the blockade was observed peacefully. No incidents of vandalism, arson and chase and counter-chase were reported.
The presence of people on the city streets was lower than any other day.
In Rangpur, a peaceful blockade was marked as no reports of unexpected incidents were found.
In Bogura, supporters of the blockade clashed with the law enforcers, vandalised and torched vehicles in the district.
Read more: Picketers in support of blockade set bus set on fire in Dhaka's Mugda
The law enforcers used tear shells to disperse the picketers whenever the supporters tried to put barricades on the roads.
At least six BNP men sustained injuries when police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel opened rubber bullets and used tear shells in the Tinmatha Railgate area in the district town around 10am.
District chapter Chhatra Dal President Saidul Islam alleged that police suddenly fired on them when they were peacefully staying in the railgate area.
Three covered vans and a microbus were torched in the district during the enforcement of the blockade.
In Mymensingh, 46 BNP men were detained from several upazilas of the district centering the blockade.
With this, police detained 153 BNP-Jamaat men over the past three days in the district.
A case under the subversive act was filed against 145 BNP men including its central organizing secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince with Kotwali police station.
In Feni, two intra-district buses were torched in the Rampur area on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway. Patrolling by the law enforcers was noticeable.