Arson and violence continues in Bangladesh as the 18-party BNP-led Opposition combine enforces yet another spell of 72- hour country-wide roar-rail-waterways blockade beginning on Saturday.

Opposition is demanding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina steps down, and elections postponed till agreement on election-time government is reached.

Amidst the escalating violence, police arrested BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Executive Committee member Belal Ahmed Saturday morning , while 12 others were sued yesterday for arson during previous blockade.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary General have written seperate letters to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition leader Khaleda Zia emphasizing need for a dialogue and holding free and fair elections.

Rail communications on Dhaka-Chittagong and Chittagong-Syhlett routes have been snapped as blockaders barricaded railtracks Saturday morning. At least 10 have been injured in clashes between police and barricaders.

Police have also arrested two people with over 400 rounds of bullets in Chittagong Satuday morning.

In Rajshahi five trucks and 2 minibuses were torched, and protestors barricaded roads ds with burning tyres.

A BNP office was torched in Ghazipur. In capital Dhaka crude bombs explosions took place in several places..