15 vehicles vandalised, torched

A bus burns on Rokeya Sarani at Sheorapara in Dhaka on Saturday, January 10, 2015 after alleged supporters of the BNP-led 20-party alliance's nationwide indefinite blockade set it on fire. Over 125 vehicles have been torched since January 5. Photo: Collected

Pickets vandalised and torched at least 10 vehicles during the daylong hartal (shutdown) enforced by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal in Dhaka and 13 other districts today.

Meanwhile, suspected blockaders set fire to five vehicles in Dhaka, Chittagong and Narayanganj this evening. In capital, the arson took place in Mirpur-11, Bangshal and Nabisco.

The student wing of BNP called the shutdown in Dhaka, Narshingdi, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Tangail, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Comilla, Brahmanbaria, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Jamalpur and Netrakona, protesting the party chief Khaleda Zia’s confinement at her Gulshan office.

The capital city, however, remained out of the hartal purview.

SAVAR

Police picked up five activists of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal when they brought out a procession near Savar bus stand around 7:30am and vandalised two buses and a truck, said Md Motaleb Miah, officer-in-charge of local police station.

GAZIPUR

Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal activists brought out a procession in Hossain Market area of Tongi and torched a private car around 7:00am, said Ismail Hossain, OC of Tongi Police Station.

Police detained three activists from the spot.

Meanwhile, alleged Jamaat-e-Islami activists torched a passenger bus at Nayanpur bus stand area in Sreepur upazila, said local OC Mohsinul Kadir.

COMILLA

Miscreants torched two buses and a covered van in Comilla.

Pro-hartal activists torched a bus of Sugondha Paribahan at Shashongacha bus stand around 10:30am, said Khurshed Alam, deputy director of Fire Service and Civil Defence in Comilla region.

Around 5:30am, a covered van was also set on fire by miscreants in Sagordighi area of Sadar Dakkhin upazila on Dhaka-Chittagong highway, the fire service official added.

A bus of Prime Plus Paribahan was set ablaze at Noapara bus stand in Mahanagar area around 9:00am, he said.

NARSHINGDI

Miscreants set fire on the railway track near Amirganj railway station in Raypura upazila around 9:30am, said Mizanur Rahman, OC of Raypura Police Station.

They also vandalised a covered van and set fire to the road on Dhaka-Sylhet highway near Beranagar bus stand, the police official added.

MANIKGANJ

Miscreants torched a human hauler at Manikganj bus stand in the Sadar upazila around 12:15pm, witnesses confirmed.

Meanwhile, hartal is progressing peacefully in Narayanganj, Tangail, Munshiganj, Brahmanbaria, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Kishoreganj, Jamalpur and Netrakona.