The first day of 48-hour nationwide hartal, enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance, demanding cancellation of the 10th parliamentary elections, was observed without major untoward incidents yesterday.
No major incidents took place, except beating up a ruling Awami League man in Satkhira and a cocktail attack on a microbus of private television channel Ekushey Television in the capital’s Mohakhali that left a cameraperson and the driver injured.
The BNP-led opposition alliance announced the programme on Sunday night, demanding cancellation of polls results and protesting killing and arrest of opposition men on the polling day.
The BNP also announced that the countrywide indefinite blockade programme, apart from the hartal, would be continued.
In the capital, ETV cameraperson Zakir and driver Sobhan sustained splinter injuries as unknown miscreants hurled 7-8 cocktails, targeting the car around 6:45pm.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-Shibir men beat up Abdus Salam, 40, at Bhomra Land Port in Satkhira Sadar upazila around 10:30am.
In the capital, no picketing in support of the shutdown was reported. Presence of vehicles on the city streets was however relatively thin, while law enforcers were on high alert at different points. Rickshaws and auto-rickshaws dominated the streets.
However, no long-route bus left Mohakhali, Sayedabad and Gabtoli bus terminals since morning fearing vandalism.
At Sadarghat launch terminal, number of passengers and water vessels were lower than usual.
Train communication was almost normal except Kishoreganj with Mymensingh and Dhaka as the engine of Egaro Sindur Express derailed at Kishoreganj railway station because of technical glitch in the afternoon.