An extended strike is underway. 1 person killed in Sirajganj. The festival of arrests is underway!

The Dhaka Times Desk BNP-led 18-party coalition strike has been extended for another 12 hours till 6 pm. 1 person was killed in a petrol bomb on a truck in Sirajganj.

On the second day of the hartal, one person was burnt to death by a petrol bomb thrown by miscreants in Sirajganj yesterday. The truck driver and helper were burnt. The incident took place in Panchlia Bazar area of Bangabandhu Yamuna Bridge West Link Road.

The strike is still going on. Public transport in the capital is running as usual. Some private cars including CNG, Tempo were seen running. Rail communication with Dhaka has been cut off due to the opening of the face plate of the railway line in Kishoreganj. However, Kamalapur railway station sources said that train movement on other routes is normal. The office-court is open. But the markets of the capital are closed.

Meanwhile, the strike is still going on with the blockade. BNP leader Selima Rahman announced the extension of the hartal till 6 pm today on behalf of the 18-party alliance in a press conference at around 6 pm on Tuesday.

On the other hand, several BNP leaders were arrested by the detective police yesterday. After BNP Chairperson's advisor and Bar Council Vice Chairman Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, BNP leaders Fazlul Haque Milan and Nazimuddin Ahmed were also arrested by the police.

Khandaker Mahbub was arrested in front of the National Press Club around 2.30 pm on Tuesday amid the blockade and hartal of the BNP-led coalition demanding the cancellation of the election. BNP organizing secretary Fazlul Haque Milan and Nazimuddin were arrested from a house in Baridhara around 3:30 pm. Nazimuddin was reportedly released later.

Earlier, it was reported that opposition chief whip Zainul Abdin Farooq and 5 parliamentarians were arrested. The police later released Farooq, Shireen Sultana and Haroon-ur-Rashid.

BNP vice chairman and former minister Selima Rahman was arrested from her home in Gulshan of the capital after announcing the strike program.

Meanwhile, post-election violence, especially attacks on minorities, and mass arrests of BNP leaders are being criticized in domestic and international circles. As soon as the new government comes to power, the international media is also reporting on the suppression of the opposition parties.