Two buses and a lorry were set on fire and three vehicles were vandalised yesterday, the first day of BNP and its allies' 36-hour nationwide blockade.

Police arrested three BNP men while they were vandalising two trucks and a human haulier in Jhenaidah yesterday.

In the capital's Gulistan, arsonists set fire to a bus of Bahon Paribahan under the Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover around 12:15pm, firefighters said, adding that no one was injured in the incident.

Although traffic on city streets was almost normal, very few buses left for other districts.

The blockade ends at 6:00pm today.

At a virtual press briefing yesterday afternoon, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said democratic countries around the world want Bangladesh to have a fair election.

"The Awami League government does not believe in participatory polls," he said.

The only way a free and fair election can be held is if the AL government resigns.

"What kind of development has Sheikh Hasina achieved? She has increased the number of law enforcers to suppress the opposition."

As of yesterday afternoon, he said 21,150 BNP leaders and activists have been arrested in 599 cases filed across the country since October 28, when a BNP rally in the city ended in clashes between activists and police.

In the 24 hours preceding yesterday evening, 255 BNP leaders and activists were detained, and seven cases were filed against 870 named and many unnamed supporters of the party.

Meanwhile, in Gazipur, unidentified arsonists set fire to a lorry in Bhogra Jajar area yesterday morning, firefighters said.

In Jhenaidah's Kaliganj, police said they arrested three BNP men who were vandalising two trucks and a human haulier during a demonstration.

[Our Gazipur and Jhenidah correspondents contributed to this report]