10th Round of Blockade: 15 vehicles torched in two days

At least four vehicles were set on fire in the country yesterday, on last day of the 10th round of 48-hour blockade enforced by BNP and its allies.

A total of 15 vehicles came under arson attacks in the two days of the 10th round of blockade.

Despite the blockade, Dhaka's traffic remained almost normal. Public transports were seen packed with passengers, with traffic congestions forming at busy intersections, despite daylong rain.

Also, more long-distance buses operated from different terminals in the capital yesterday, compared to the day before.

Two vehicles were set alight in the capital -- a Taranga Paribahan bus at Shahbagh around 1:35pm, and a Gazipur Paribahan bus in Motijheel around 9:30am yesterday, said police.

Also, a staff bus of Jahan Footwear was torched in Cumilla EPZ area around 4:00am, and a truck loaded with rice was torched in Dinajpur's Birganj upazila early yesterday.

Two persons were held in connection with the Dinajpur arson incident, said Birganj OC Mozibar Rahman.

Meanwhile, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi yesterday claimed that more than 415 party men were arrested in 19 cases in the last 24 hours.

The cases showed 2,045 named and many other unnamed as accused, he said.

With the latest arrests, over 20,275 BNP men have been arrested in 571 cases since October 28, according to party sources.

Rizvi alleged that the imprisoned BNP men are being brutally tortured to switch party and make false confessions.

Terming the government as "voter-less and anti-people", he claimed that it has led the country towards an "inconclusive situation of political crisis" to hold a one-sided election and renew "Sheikh Hasina's power and destroy Bangladesh".

"We must not only boycott this rigged election, but also bring down this government," Rizvi said.

BNP and its allies have been calling for nationwide blockades, protesting the polls schedule announced by the Election Commission.