19 vehicles torched during BNP’s 48-hour nationwide hartal: fire service

As many as 19 vehicles, including four in Dhaka, have been burnt during the 48-hour hartal, or shutdown, enforced by the BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami, the Fire Service and Civil Defence has said.

The BNP and its allies called for the nationwide shutdown from 6pm on Sunday, rejecting the announcement of the schedule of the 12th national election.

During the hartal between Sunday morning and Monday evening, 17 fire incidents involving transports were reported, according to a notice from the fire service.

In the 17 fire incidents, a total 19 vehicles were set ablaze while four incidents took place in the capital.

Another incident was reported in Dhaka Division, but outside the capital. Seven vehicles were torched in Rajshahi Division, four in Chattogram and one in Mymensingh.

The burnt vehicles included 10 buses, one covered van, six trucks and an auto-rickshaw.

Three coaches of a passenger train were set ablaze as well.

As many as 156 firefighters of 31 units worked in two days during the hartal to tame the flames, the fire service said.

The train was torched in Jamalpur’s Sarishabari.

A truck was set on fire in Bogura’s Nandigram and and another in Tongi’s Mirer Bazar.

A covered van was set on fire in Feni's Lalpur while fire incidents were also reported from Dhaka’s Dhanmondi, Natore’s Bhabaniganj, Rajshahi’s Godagari and Puthia and Feni’s Mohipa.

In Dhaka, a bus was torched next to Jatrabari Police Station and a BRTC double-decker in Mirpur.