DHAKA: The first day of the 72-hour hartal, called by BNP led 20-party alliance, is being marked on Sunday across the country amid stray incidents of blasts, vandalism and arson attacks, supplemented by nonstop blockade.
The alliance called the shutdown protesting threats by ruling Awami League leaders to arrest BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and uproot her Gulshan political office.
The fresh program of hartal began from 6:00am Sunday and it will continue till 6:00am Wednesday.
In capital, miscreants blasted one cocktail inside secretariat and two more at the fifth floor of adjacent Bidyut Bhavan simultaneously at around 10:45 am.
Security measures have been beefed up at different strategic points of the capital. Additional police as well as BGB member are seen patrolling in the city thoroughfare.
In Feni, pickets torched two trucks and vandalized six auto-rickshaws and four trucks on trunk road and Takia bazaar of the district town around 9:00am.
In Brahmanbaria, Leaders and activists of BNP locked into a clash with police after a cocktail was hurled at Subarna Express Train around 12:00pm.
Witnesses said BNP men hurled the cocktail, but none was hurt as all doors and windows of the train were closed.
In Habiganj, hartal supporters torched a truck and vandalsed another truck and a private car around 12:00pm in Poddar Bari area on Kamrapur-Nasratpur bypass.
In Sirajganj, Jamaat-Shibir men blasted two cocktails targeting police in Khokshabari area on Sirajganj-Kazipur road around 9:00am.
Police also detained three Shibir men with cocktails.
In Gazipur, Shibir men torched a passenger bus at Chandana intersection of the city around 7:30am.
Besides, Shibir men brought out a pro-hartal procession in Telipara area at 7:00am.
In Noakhali, 20-party alliance leaders-activists took out procession on bypass road around 10:30am and vandalized eight CNG-run auto-rickshaws.
Besides, law enforcers detained at least 346 people, including 124 leaders-activists of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, in drives in 10 districts and capital apprehending subversive activities during nationwide hartal.
BDST: 1525 HRS, FEB 01, 2015
** 72-hr countrywide hartal underway
