Commuters caught in chaos

A bus, right, is on fire in Fakirerpool of the capital yesterday as pro-hartal pickets vandalise several vehicles across the city. The ransacking of buses lead to transport crisis resulting in a large number of people waiting at Farmgate, left. Photo: Palash Khan/ Amran Hossain

Hundreds of commuters remained stranded for hours in parts of the capital yesterday, as pickets attacked buses driving them out of streets on the eve of the opposition-called hartal.
Pro-hartal pickets set fire to 10 buses and a taxi cab in the city. They also damaged five more buses leaving several commuters injured.
Police detained 50 people in connection with the incidents.
The ongoing chaos over fares added to the plight of commuters, as fewer buses ply the city roads following government drives to prevent transport operators from charging additional fares.
Several hundred people were seen waiting for buses for hours in Farmgate, Bangla Motor, Malibagh, Mouchak, Nilkhet and Mirpur areas.
Meantime, 30 people were injured in Rajshahi in a clash between law enforcers and BNP activists, who brought out a procession in support of today's hartal.
In the capital, activists of Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal set fire to the very bus that carried them to Rajuk Bhaban in Motijheel from Gazipur shortly after 2:30pm to create panic among people ahead of the hartal, said Shahidul Haq, officer-in-charge of Paltan Police Station.
They were to join a programme to be addressed by BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at Mahanagar Natyamancha, he said.
Pickets from a pro-hartal procession hurled brickbats at four buses at West Kazipara in Mirpur at about 4:50pm.
Police arrested three pickets from the spot.
Pro-hartal pickets set fire to another bus at Mirpur-10 shortly after 6:00pm. Law enforcers arrested three pickets from the scene.
Another bus was set ablaze by pickets at Palashi intersection at about 6:05pm. Fire fighters doused the flame.
Two more buses -- one at Bangla Motor and another at Fakirerpool -- came under arson attack at about 7:40pm.
Pickets torched five more buses at Kataban, Kamalapur, Jurain, Asad Avenue, and Moghbazar level crossing between 7:00pm and 10:00pm. They also set ablaze a taxi cab at Khilkhet.
Two major opposition parties -- BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami -- on Wednesday called a dawn-to-dusk hartal today across the country to protest what they say the government move to scrap the caretaker government system.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Benazir Ahmed said additional police personnel were deployed at key points in the city to ward off any pre-hartal violence.
The law enforcers would do their best to resist violence in the name of hartal, the DMP commissioner said at a press briefing at the DMP headquarters.
Several socio-political organisations urged the main opposition BNP to withdraw today's hartal considering people's plight and the nation's financial loss.
BNP does not have any right to disrupt the country's development in the name of hartal, said speakers in a discussion organised by Bangladesh Awami Olama League at Dhaka Reporters' Unity auditorium.
They urged BNP to return to parliament to find a solution to the issue.
Bangladesh Christian Association in a meeting also demanded withdrawal of today's hartal.