At least seven persons were killed and many injured on the third day of countrywide hartal imposed by 20-Party Alliance part of its movement for restoring democracy and people’s voting right.

In Comilla, at least seven people were killed and 16 others injured in Molotov cocktail attack on a bus at Jagmohanpur in Chauddagram on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Comilla in the morning.

Comilla Fire Service assistant director Monir Hossain said seven persons died of burns on the spot as Icon Paribaban was set on fire at about 3:30am.

In Dhaka, pickets set fire to a Prachesta Paribahan bus at DIT road of Malibagh Chowdhury Para in the capital at about 7:00am.

However, no casualties were reported in the incident.  

Besides, pickets threw 10 crude bombs in the capital’s Shahjadpur at about 7:30am. Nobody was injured in the blast.  

Meanwhile, police detained three people in possession of 12 crude bombs at Mirpur Town Protection Embankment in the capital on Tuesday.

DMP deputy commissioner Masudur Rahman said police arrested at least 24 leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat-Shibir for ‘sabotage plan’ from different places of the city during a drive continuing for 24 hours till this (Tuesday) morning.

Presence of motorised vehicles was almost normal on the capital streets.

A large number of law enforcers remained deployed in different parts of the capital to fend off any trouble.

In Gazipur, miscreants set fire to a bus of ‘Dhaka Paribahan’ parked in front of its counter at Shibbari intersection beside the Dhaka-Gazipur road of the city early in the morning. No casualties were reported in the incident.

In Kishoreganj, a covered van skidded off as miscreants hurled a petrol bomb to covered van at about 10:00pm on Monday. The driver was injured in the incident.

In Barisal, two people were burnt to death after miscreants hurled cocktails at a truck at Gaurnadi of the city at about 12:30am early today.  

In Lakshmipur, a pick-up van driver Mohammad Kamal Hossain who was injured in a bomb attack in the city on Monday night, died at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital early Tuesday.

In Jessore, miscreants set fire to a fish-loaded pick-up van with a petrol bomb at Monirampur in Jessore at about 9:00pm on Monday.

Our Satkhira correspondent said police took in 13 leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat from different parts of the area on charge of ‘sabotage plan’.  

In Meherpur, Police held five leaders and activists of BNP from various places of the city on Monday afternoon.

At least seven vehicles were torched on the second day of the 72-hour nationwide hartal on Monday.

Incidents of violence like torching vehicles and crude bomb blasts, railway sabotage and the arrest of pickets were reported from different parts of the country, including the capital, during the hartal hours.

The shutdown programme, alongside the alliance’s ongoing countrywide non-stop transport blockade, commenced at 6:00am on Sunday and will end at 6:00am on Wednesday.

In a statement, BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, on behalf of the alliance, called the shutdown programme on Friday.