DHAKA: The first day of the 36-hour hartal, called by BNP-led 20-party alliance, is being marked across the country on Sunday amid stray incidents of arson attacks and vandalism.

The alliance is observing the shutdown protesting power price hike, government’s ‘conspiracy of sabotages’ and arrest of their 10 thousands leaders and activists.

A private car driver sustained splinter-injuries when miscreants blasted cocktails in capital’s Karwan Bazar area around 10:30am. 

The injured Sharbat Ali, 30, driver of South Keraniganj Pouro Chairman Syed.

Additional Police have been deployed in Nayapaltan BNP central office area since morning to avert any sabotage centering the nationwide hartal.

Banglanews correspondent from Naogaon reported: Miscreants set alight two buses that led another bus to catch fire at Dhaka Bus Stand of Naogaon district around 6:45am

Of those buses, two are of TR Travels while one of Dipjal Paribahan.

In Comilla, pickets torched a covered van and vandalized six buses and truck in Haiderpool area under Chaudagram upazila at 11:30am.  

In Sirajganj, miscreants blasted cocktails at CNG filling station adjacent to LGED officer in Sadar Upazila at 9:30am ahead of the 36-hour hartal. 

The shutdown, starting from 6:00am, will continue till Monday evening amid the BNP called nationwide indefinite blockade.

At least 251 people, mostly leaders and activists of BNP and its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami, were detained in different districts across the country between Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

The districts are detained from Dhaka, Satkhira, Jessore, Meherpur, Khulna, Pabna, Jamalpur, Chittagong, Noakhali, Habiganj Brahmanbaria, Dinajpur and Gaibandha.

The hartal, however, was declared by BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi earlier on Saturday.

He, through a press release, has also urged the party leaders and activists to observe the strike peacefully.

** 36-hr nationwide hartal begins

BDST: 1327 HRS, JAN 25, 2015