A total of nine arson attacks were reported across the country from 8 pm last night to 6 am today (November 12, 2023), according to the Fire Service and Civil Defence. Of these, 7 arson attacks were reported in Dhaka’s Jatrabari, Gulistan, Gabtoli, near Notre Dame College, Rupnagar, Sutrapur and Mirpur areas, said Talha Bin Zashim, station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defense Media Cell, this morning. All the arson attacks in Dhaka were on buses ahead of the countrywide 48-hour blockade of roads, rail lines and waterways. Read: Arsonists set fire to another bus in Dhaka's Mirpur Moreover, the miscreants also set a pickup van and a bus on fire in Gazipur and Barishal respectively in the same period. Supporters of BNP and its associate bodies brought out a procession in favour of the blockade this morning in Barishal city and they also burnt tyres on the streets. Read: Fire Service records 15 arson incidents across country in 37 hrs till Thursday evening At a virtual press briefing, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday called upon the country’s people and BNP supporters to observe the blockade and make it successful. Read more: 13 arson incidents reported in 27 hours till this morning: Fire Service

After a day of relative calm in Dhaka, unidentified arsonists in the capital set fire to five buses in Jatrabari, Gulistan, Gabtoli, near Notre Dame College and Mirpur, all after 9pm ahead of the 48-hour countrywide blockade to be enforced by BNP and like-minded opposition parties from tomorrow (Sunday, November 12, 2023) morning. Besides, a pick-up van was torched in Gazipur's Joydebpur area around 9:33pm. On information, two firefighting teams from Gazipur Fire Station rushed to the spot and are trying to tame the blaze, said Talha Bin Zashim, station officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence's media cell. Spate of bus burnings after dark in capital sets stage for tense blockade A Shomoy Niyontron bus was torched in front of Sundarban Square Super Market in Gulistan around 9:00pm, he said. Two firefighting units from Siddique Bazar Fire Station are working to put out the blaze, added the officer. Meanwhile, a bus of Anabil Paribahan was torched in front of a fruit market in Jatrabari around 9:27 pm. Two passenger buses set on fire in Dhaka on eve of fresh 48-hr blockade Two firefighting units from Postogola Fire Station reached the scene to douse the blaze, added the official. A Projapati Paribahan bus was set ablaze in Mirpur around 11.30pm. Two firefighting units from Mirpur Fire Station went to the spot to douse the fire, according to Talha bin Zasim, station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence (media cell). Earlier, another passenger bus was set on fire in Gabtoli Bus Stand area, around the same time as the one near Notre Dame College. One more bus set on fire in Dhaka’s Mirpur