In Bangladesh, as another countrywide Opposition-sponsored three-day shutdown goes underway, sporadic crude bomb explosions and torching of vehicles marked the capital and other parts of the country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last night made a fresh offer for dialogue urging Opposition BNP leader Khaleda Zia to call off the hartal and sit for negotiations on polls-time administration.

But the Opposition has refused to relent saying dialogue and agitation for non-partisan caretaker government can take place simultaneously. Dhaka Metropolitan Police said over 10,000 additional police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order.
Despite several contingents of police deployed at strategic places, strikers managed to take out flash processions and hurl countrymade bombs in Dhaka in several places including Tejgaon and Mirpur. In Jatrabari police fought pitched battles with activists of opposition student wings, resulting in firing of rubber bullets and tear gas to gain control of the situation. Police have detained several activists, some of whom were reportedly found to be carrying crude bombs with them. On the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway, strikers boarded a Dhaka-bound bus and set fire to it injuring some passengers. In Ghazipur 3 vehicles were torched before the police could get control of the situation. while long-distance buses have stopped plying, trains and waterways continued normally. Plainclothes policemen carrying still and video cameras have been placed at several places to identify the troublemakers. Mobile courts are also seen patrolling the streets.
Reports coming in say that 2 have died and over 20, injured in separate incidents of violence in todays’ Opposition -sponsored shutdown. A youth was shot dead at Patgram in Lalmonirhat during clashes between supporters of Awami League and BNP. Another labourer succumbed to injuries he suffered earlier in the day when strikers hurled bricks at a truck carrying day labourers in Natore proceeding towards Gurdaspur.