After a Sunday-to-Tuesday countrywide blockade, another 48-hour road, rail and waterways blockade called by the BNP, Jamaat and like-minded opposition parties is underway.
The second blockade this week, after one last week, started at 6am on Wednesday and will end at 6am on Friday.
The blockade aims to mount pressure on the government to step down and hold the next election under a non-partisan administration.
Meanwhile, the police detained a suspect named Billal, 32, in front of the BNP’s central office in Naya Paltan at around 9:50am.
The police said during a patrol in front of the BNP office, law enforcement noticed a person acting suspiciously. Upon interrogation, he behaved erratically, leading to his detention and subsequent transfer to the local police station.
At 9am, there were around 50 policemen stationed in front of the locked BNP office. The law enforcement presence, divided into two units, included intelligence officers and plainclothesmen in the surrounding areas of Naya Paltan.
Paltan model police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Salahuddin Mia said law enforcement has been monitoring the BNP office since October 28.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the third phase of activities before the conclusion of the second phase of the blockade at 6am on Tuesday.
Vandalism and clashes with the police occurred in front of the chief justice’s house on October 28 during a rally involving the BNP and Jamaat.
Subsequently, the BNP office was locked, its grand rally was foiled, and BNP-Jamaat announced a hartal for October 29 and a three-day blockade from October 31.
Prior to the end of that blockade, BNP and like-minded parties called for a new 48-hour blockade starting Monday.
Reports of burning and vandalizing vehicles surfaced across the country, including Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Chittagong, during the hartal and blockades.
According to Fire Service and Civil Defence information, 21 vehicles, including 16 buses, two trucks, a car and an autorickshaw, were set on fire from October 28 to November 6.
Fires were reported on multiple days, totalling 110 cases, with the highest number occurring on October 28 and November 5.
Meanwhile, BNP leaders and activists claimed that 5,559 individuals were arrested in 132 cases related to the Dhaka clashes on October 28 and the subsequent nine days.
