Processions mark first day of blockade

The first day of the sixth round of 48-hour opposition-sponsored nationwide blockade passed on Wednesday amid processions to realise their demands.
The movement of vehicles in Dhaka's streets was thin. However, office-goers and workers had trouble getting vehicles to reach their respective workstations in the morning.
Meanwhile, a young man was caught while fleeing after torching a bus around 2:30 pm in Asad Gate area in the capital.
The arrestee was identified as Md Mamun. Additional deputy commissioner of Tejgaon Traffic Division Md Jahangir Alam said Sgt Palash Kumar Roy found Mamun fleeing after torching a Projapati Paribahan bus near St Joseph School.
The arsonist was handed over to Mohammadpur police station.
Meanwhile, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal and Swechasebak Dal brought out processions in different places in the city in support of the ongoing blockade programme.
Chhatra Dal vice-president Syed Saifuzzaman and other leaders of Jubo Dal and Swechasebak Dal took part in the procession.
Jubo Dal also marched in procession in Jatrabari area demanding cancellation of the election schedule and holding polls under a neutral caretaker government.
Jubo Dal joint secretary general Ziaur Rahman Zia led the procession.
Jatiyatabadi Swechasebak Dal also brought out processions in different areas, including Shahjahanpur, Jatrabari, Rampura-Khilgaon link road and Hazaribagh.
Dhaka south Swechasebak Dal president AA Jahiruddin Tubin led the procession in Jatrabari Shaheed Faruk road area. The BNP-led like-minded parties have mounted the blockade programme to realise their demands.
Meanwhile, members of law-enforcement agencies, including the police and Rapid Action Battalion, were seen alert at different roundabouts and important places to thwart any arson attacks by miscreants during blockade.
The government has deployed a total of 232 platoons of BGB members across the country centring on the countrywide blockade.
Of them, 28 platoons were deployed in the capital Dhaka and the adjacent districts.
A total of 197 vehicles mainly public buses were torched from October 28 to November 22 due to hartal and blockade.
A fire service and civil defence official said five vehicles on average were set ablaze by miscreants during the ongoing programmes.
Arson attacks mostly occurred under Dhaka South City Corporation (60). The number was 35 under while Dhaka North City Corporation.

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