BNP's daylong hartal observed

A daylong hartal called by BNP and other opposition parties was observed across the country on Tuesday in protest against the Election Commission's announcement of the 12th parliamentary election schedule under the Awami League-led government, reports UNB.
Since October 29, it was the fourth hartal enforced by the opposition parties which also observed eleven blockade programmes as part of their anti-government movement.
Tuesday's countrywide hartal began at 6:00am and ended at 6:00pm.
Amid fear of arson attacks, a number of vehicles, including public transport, were seen plying Dhaka streets.
Additional police were seen performing their duties at all key points of capital Dhaka.
Earlier on Saturday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the hartal at a virtual press briefing.
He called upon the countrymen and supporters of BNP and other opposition parties to observe the hartal and make it a success.
During the hartal, miscreants set fire to two buses in Khilgaon and Gulistan areas of capital Dhaka.
A bus of 'Rab Rab Paribahan' was set on fire near Meradia Bazaar in Khilgaon area around 7:00am, said Moshiur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Rampura Police Station.
He said two youths riding a motorcycle set fire to the bus and fled the scene hurriedly.
On information, firefighters rushed to the spot and put out the flames. However, there was no report of casualties in the incident.
Around 1:00pm, miscreants set fire to a bus of 'Malancha Paribahan' in Dhaka's Gulistan area.
Two fire engines from Siddique Bazar station doused the blaze around 1:15pm, said Shahjahan Sikder, deputy assistant director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters media cell.
There was no report of casualties in the arson attack, he also said.
Just an hour before the hartal, four people, including woman and her child, were killed as arsonists set fire to the Dhaka-bound Mohanganj express train in Tejgaon Railway station area of the capital.
In another development, miscreants set a bus on fire in Chandanaish upazila on Dhaka-Cox's Bazar highway in Chattogram in the early morning.
According to fire service sources, unidentified miscreants set fire to the passenger minibus which was parked in Chandnaish Fakirhat area.
SM Obaidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Chandnaish Police Station, confirmed the incident.
On information, police and fire service personnel rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control.
The seats of the bus were burnt in the fire, but no casualties were reported.
Efforts are on to identify and arrest those who were involved in the arson attack and a case has been filed in this connection, the OC added.