The second day of the countrywide 48-hour blockade, called by BNP, Jamaat and like-minded opposition parties, is underway. The ongoing blockade will end at 6 am tomorrow (November 10, 2023). The presence of public transport on Dhaka roads seemed usual despite heightened tension and fear of violence. Guardians were seen rushing their children to respective schools safely as final exams are starting in many educational institutions. Rickshaws are dominating Dhaka streets while a few private vehicles are seen plying the streets. In Chuadanga, leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies brought out a procession in support of the blockade on Chuadanga-Jhenaidah road at Rail Bazar area of the district town in the morning. Blockade: Two vehicles torched in two districts They also hurled brick chips targeting some vehicles passing through the area. Multiple cases of arson violence were reported in places in Dhaka and across the country since Wednesday evening, on the first day of the 48-hour road-rail-waterways blockade. On November 6, BNP, Jamaat and like-minded opposition parties announced the latest blockade across the country from Wednesday morning. Another bus set ablaze in Dhaka’s Tantibazar amid blockade The opposition parties gave a day’s break from its action programme on Tuesday as BNP observes November 7 as the ‘National Revolution and Solidarity Day’. The latest spell of agitation was announced on the last day of the opposition’s previous 48-hour nationwide blockade which was marked by incidents of violence, including clashes with police, vandalising and burning vehicles . Bus set on fire in Gazipur amid blockade Earlier last week, the opposition’s three-day countrywide blockade saw clashes and widespread burning and vandalising vehicles, leaving four people — three in Kishoreganj and one in Sylhet — killed and over three dozen vehicles either burned or vandalised.

A three-day blockade of road, rail and waterways, enforced by BNP and like-minded opposition parties, across the country began this morning to mount pressure on the Awami League government to quit and hold the next election under a non-party, neutral administration. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami also enforced the blockade simultaneously from this morning to Thursday evening with the same demands. Apart from BNP and Jamaat, the 12-party alliance, Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote, LDP, Gonoforum and People’s Party, Gonotantrik Bam Oikya, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Labour Party and NDM are also observing the programme separately. Meanwhile, AL has vowed to resist any violence during the blockade. Read more: Jamaat to observe countrywide blockade program on Oct 31 and Nov 1-2 Police and other law enforcement agencies have already alerted their units to increase vigilance and beef up security across the country. 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, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday evening announced the countrywide blockade for three consecutive days. He, however, said vehicles of newspapers or media, ambulances and vehicles transporting oxygen cylinders and medicines will remain out of the purview of the three-day blockade. Read more: BNP sends letter to foreign missions blaming govt, police for Oct 28 violence