Bus torched in Chattogram amid BNP's hartal, less traffic on roads

A bus was torched at Chattogram's Patenga area today amid the hartal called by BNP and Jamaat to protest the arrest and remand of BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and other party leaders.

The incident took place at Gumpara of Patenga police station on Sunday (5 November) at around 5:30am, Patenga police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Aftab Hossain said.

"The driver of the bus parked it on the side of the road and went to a nearby mosque to offer Fajr prayers. Meanwhile, a group of miscreants came in a CNG auto-rickshaw, poured petrol on the bus set it on fire and left the spot. At that time some garment workers were waiting to board the bus. Police put out the fire. No one has been arrested in this incident so far," he added.

Public transport in the port city is less than usual amid the 48-hour nationwide blockade called by BNP-Jamaat and their allies.

Rickshaws, CNG auto-rickshaws, minibuses and other vehicles were seen plying on various roads of the city but in lesser numbers than usual.

Many office-going passengers complained that they had to pay extra due to the lesser number of public transport on the roads.

Anwar Hossain, a commuter in GEC Mor, said, "There are fewer public transports on the roads. I go to my office in Agrabad by bus every day. Today I had to go to the office using ride-sharing."

According to Chattogram Metropolitan Road Transport Owner Group, 1200 minibuses, 1600 human haulers and 200 tempos ply on different routes of Chittagong city.

Following the one-day hartal and three-day nationwide blockade after the October 28 rally, the anti-government political parties, including the BNP, have called for a 48-hour blockade programme from Sunday.