Despite the ongoing 48-hour hartal by the BNP and allied parties, the situation in front of the BNP office remained normal. While the BNP office stayed locked, most surrounding shopping malls were open. The movement of the general public and traffic in this area was comparatively higher.
The strikes and blockades have caused daily arson and explosions in the capital. In support, the BNP and other opposition groups are protesting across the city. However, the area around the BNP's office is an exception, where the strike and blockade have had no impact.
On Sunday, from morning until 3pm in the Naya Paltan area, it was observed that despite the BNP and other opposition parties organizing protest marches around the Paltan area against the announcement of the schedule for the 12th National Parliamentary Election and demanding the resignation of the government, the local environment remained largely unaffected.
Since October 28, the BNP's office has been locked for 21 consecutive days. The police have been on constant guard outside the office. Party members and leaders are not appearing in front of the office due to fear of arrest. Additionally, since central leaders are either detained or in hiding, no responsible leader has visited the office.
Shopkeepers in the Naya Paltan area said that since October 28, there has been a fear of conflict in the area during several blockades. However, this fear diminished as party members and leaders could not gather at the office. They also mentioned that the constant presence of the police reduced the likelihood of any sudden clashes.
Mainul Islam, a small businessman selling children's clothes from a van in front of the Jonaki Cinema Hall, said: "I run my business in Naya Paltan. I have adapted to the situation here. I have witnessed numerous meetings and processions and no longer worry about them. Since October 28, the police have restricted my stay in the area, but now things have returned to normal. Despite previous blockades, there were no incidents in this area, so I believe it's now safe."
An anonymous tea seller said: “Even though it was a strike day, the number of people in the area has been increasing. However, except for the markets, other shops area still closed.”
Pedestrians near the BNP office did not expect any trouble. Md Amin, one of them, said: "I came here for work and have been here since the morning. I have not noticed any strike activity, but usually, there are more people around here on regular days."
On Tuesday, with the BNP office locked and under police watch, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman said: "The BNP office is not locked by us. They are free to access their office whenever they want. We do not have any issue with that. But for security reasons, we will keep police deployed there."
On Wednesday, the first day of the fifth phase of the BNP's 48-hour blockade, several party workers gathered in front of the BNP office and began chanting slogans. This action led to their arrest by the Paltan police station.
On October 28, there was a clash between the police and BNP members and leaders during a major rally of the party. After the rally was disrupted, the police secured and locked the party's office. The following day, October 29, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) cordoned off the BNP office on three sides with yellow tape reading “Do Not Cross - Crime Scene” and proceeded to gather evidence. For the past 21 days since that incident, the police have maintained a continuous presence there.
