A dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the BNP protesting the attacks on its grand rally at Naya Paltan is underway across Bangladesh on Sunday.
The opposition party is protesting the police action that foiled its grand rally on Saturday.
The rally was organized to demand that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina step down to allow a non-partisan caretaker administration to hold the upcoming national election due next January.
Jamaat-e-Islami party also announced a hartal for Sunday, the first workday of the week, to protest.
Since morning, at least three buses were torched in the capital’s Demra, Mohammadpur and Baitul Mukarram areas. A helper of a bus died in the Demra arson incident.
On the other hand, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was detained by the Detective Brach (DB) of Police on Sunday morning.
He was detained from his house in Dhaka's Gulshan area at around 9:30am, Shamsuddin Didar, a member of the BNP chairperson's press wing, confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune.
DB Additional Deputy Commissioner (Gulshan Division) Hafiz Al Asad said that they have brought in Mirza Fakhrul Islam for questioning.
Meanwhile, police have cordoned off BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas's Shahjahanpur residences.
Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) joined police and RAB to patrol the capital city during the shutdown.
A small number of buses, and private cars were seen plying the streets in Dhaka since morning.
Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan confirmed that rail communication at Kamalapur Railway Station is being operated normally.
Leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami brought out a procession in the city's Madartek area around 8am on Sunday in support of the hartal.
Launch operation at Sadarghat terminal was seen as normal but there were few passengers.
