The BNP-led 20-party alliance blockade in Chittagong city, largely uneventful during the daytime, has left residents in the grip of fear after nightfall.
Residents of the port city said they feared sudden violence after sunset by miscreants.
Home-bound job holders, especially ready-made garment workers and street hawkers, complained of transportation and security problems.
Thursday, the third consecutive day of the blockade, passed peacefully in the city but as darkness fell miscreants torched a bus in the city’s GEC area and blasted crude bombs in the Bahaddarhat area, leaving a rickshaw puller with splinter injuries.
Similar violence was witnessed the day before, with miscreants blasting crude bombs in front of the Chittagong Press Club and Probortok area, causing residents to panic.
The fear of sudden violence has led to a visible decrease of vehicles on the roads in the evening, compounding troubles for commuters.
Majid Mia, a bus driver of city route 10, said he did not want to drive after nightfall during the blockade or hartal because protesters target public vehicles when they want to show off their “political activities.”
Rehana Akhter, a Chittagong Export Processing Zone RMG worker, said her work hours end at 8pm but she could not find transport home during the blockade or hartal. She said she has to walk to her home in the Cement Crossing area, five kilometres away from her workplace.
Long distance and freight vehicles plied the roads and highways accompanied by police escort but some operators were not running their vehicles fearing sabotage.
Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity Executive President Kafil Uddin said vehicle owners were nervous about operating their vehicles because of sudden attacks by demonstrators after dark.
After sunset, most roadside shops and markets closed down out of fear of vandalism. Shoppers sometimes had to make do without what they needed, said Omar Faruk, a resident of Halishahar area of the city.
Bakery owner Abu Bakar Siddique said although his shop is crowded most evenings, he has had very few customers lately because of the political unrest in the country.
Maisha Musharrat Isha, a class five student of BWA Girls High School and College, said she and her parents used to go to Shishu Park or other recreational parks on Fridays.
But she and her parents have not been able to go out and enjoy themselves for the last couple of weeks because of the chance of violence.
“I cannot go out and I am getting bored,” she said, adding that she only attended classes at school two days out of the first nine days of the year.
Street-side hawker, Abdur Rahim Molla, said sales were down due to the blockade. He said his roadside business was at risk as protesters frequently set fire to roadside stalls.
BNP alliance sources said no leaders or activists of the alliance were seen during daylight hours for fear of arrest in cases lodged in connection with violence on January 5. Jamaat-Shibir men were seen bringing out brisk processions but quickly fled in the presence of law enforcement agencies.
Police and Border Guard Bangladesh personnel have been deployed to key points of the city to fend off sudden unrest, Chittagong Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operation) Banaj Kumar Majumdar said.