Bus set afire at Jatrabari

The first day of the 48-hour blockade passed off amid processions and arson.
Miscreants set fire to a bus of "Moumita Paribahan" under Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover in Kajla area of Jatrabari of the city on Sunday evening.
The bus came under attack at 7:48 pm on Sunday, confirmed Shahjahan Sikder, DAD of Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters (media cell).
On information, two firefighting units from Postogola Fire Station are working at the spot to douse the fire under police protection, he said.
On the other hand, miscreants set fire to a betel nut carrying pickup van on the Dhaka-Barishal Highway in Ujirpur upazila of Barishal on the eve of the 48-hour countrywide blockade called by the BNP and like-minded opposition parties.
Gauranadi Highway Police Station's Officer-in-charge (OC) Golam Rasul Mollah confirmed the matter, saying that the miscreants first put logs on the highway to halt vehicular movement.
As the pickup van arrived in Bamrail area, they set fire to it.
Being informed, two firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the flame under control after around one hour's efforts, said Gauranadi Fire Station's officer Bipul Hossain.
Ujirpur Police Station's OC said they took the torched van while its driver will file a case in this connection.
A total of 208 arson attacks were recorded till 6 am on Sunday during the blockades and hartals enforced by BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami since October 28.
Besides, three arson attacks were recorded in 60 hours from 6 pm on November 23 till 6 am on Sunday during the ongoing 48-hour road, rail and waterways blockade enforced by the opposition parties.
Two buses and one truck were set ablaze during the period..
Of these, one was set on fire inside Dhaka city, said Md Shahjahan Shikdar, Deputy assistant director (media cell) of Fire Service and Civil Defence.
The rest two arson attacks were carried out in Cumilla's Daudkandi and Barishal division.
A total of 30 members of six firefighting units worked to douse the fires across the country during this period.
A 48-hour hartal - called by BNP, Jamaat and like-minded opposition parties - protesting the general election schedule announced by the Election Commission (EC) is underway from this morning amid fear of violence.