Bangladesh faces yet another shutdown

The BNP-led opposition alliance has called for yet another 60-hour, nationwide hartal from Monday in a bid to force the Bangladesh government to concede to its demand for a poll-time caretaker government.

The opposition combine led by Khaleda Zia had already enforced a three-day hartal from October 27 to 29 during which at least 14 persons have been killed in clashes.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, at least 10 buses and cars were torched in Dhaka allegedly by BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami activists. They exploded Molotov cocktails and handmade bombs in several parts of the capital. The explosions injured several persons.

High Court order

In another development, the High Court on Sunday directed the police to arrest within 24 hours culprits who attacked Hindus in northern Pabna district and damaged their properties on Saturday. Issuing a suo motu order, the court asked the government to deploy police to protect minorities.

The miscreants had vandalised 26 houses at Bonogram bazaar in Santhia upazila claiming that a Hindu boy from the locality maligned Prophet Muhammad on a Facebook page. The claim was not based on facts, said the local administration.

The Daily Star newspaper, quoting the police, said the attackers belong to local units of the BNP and Jamaat.