Vehicles torched after strike call

The party announced the shutdown in protest after the courts sent to jail eight top BNP leaders, including its Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Moudud Ahmed.

Later, BNP Joint Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed announced the shutdown at the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters.

Minutes later, two vehicles were set ablaze within a kilometre of the BNP headquarters at 5pm.

Fire Service control room official Nilufar Yeasmin told bdnews24.com they got information that a bus and another vehicle were set on fire at around the same time at Kakrail and Razarbagh respectively.

Ramna Police Station Inspector (Patrol) Mohammad Shahid said some youths torched the Rangdhanu Paribahan bus at Kakrail and fled the scene within minutes.

The Fire Service official said two more vehicles were also set ablaze after a while in front of Bangladesh Bank at Motijheel and Buddha Mandir at Basabo.

Unidentified youths tried to set ablaze a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in front of the Fakirerpul Mosque at around 5pm. But the fire was doused immediately, witnesses said.

Rampura police Officer-in-Charge Delwar Hossain told bdnews24.com that a car was set ablaze at around 7pm in front of the Molla Tower at Rampura.

Four handmade crude bombs were also detonated at the same time in front of the Bangladesh Medical Association office at Topkhana Road, Ramna police Assistant Commissioner (Patrol) Mohammad Imanul said.

No casualties were reported, he added.

Hifazat-e Islam, a Jamaat-e-Islami-backed organisation, has also called a nationwide daylong shutdown for Monday.