Countrywide 48 Hour Hartal Underway

The countrywide general strike called by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies for the resignation of the government and holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government began across Bangladesh Sunday (November 19) morning.

The hartal began across the country after torching of eight vehicles, mostly buses, at places in the country and setting fire to a train in Jamalpur within a span of less than 12 hours. Four of the vehicles were torched in Dhaka city alone, according to officials at Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters.

Reports received from divisional headquarters and a number of districts said that long route buses did not left the cities and districts for Dhaka.

The local transports, however, are plying though less in number.

The reports said that the presence of members of law enforcement agencies on roads and important places was noticeable.

The leaders and activists brought out processions at places in the cities and district towns supporting the hartal and chanted slogans to press home their demands.

In Dhaka, long route buses did not left three major terminals – Gabtali, Sayedabad and Mahakhali bus terminals.The ticket counters were almost empty in the morning. Some buses arrived in the terminals in the morning.

The number of public vehicles on roads in the capital was much lower than the normal days.