The 48-hour nationwide hartal called by the BNP and its allies to protest the Election Commission's announcement of the polls schedule begins at 6:00am today.

This is the second round of hartal called by the BNP since October 28. It has also enforced five rounds of blockades in the last 20 days.

The strike has also been called to put pressure on the government to step down, hand over power to a non-partisan administration, and release all BNP leaders and activists, including its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

The Jamaat-e-Islami and some other opposition parties, including the Ganatantra Mancha and Gono Odhikar Parishad, will also enforce the hartal.

Four buses were torched in the capital's Taltola, Gulistan, Dhanmondi, and Mirpur, and one in Cumilla; a pickup was also set on fire in Joypurhat last night, according to the fire service.

Besides, two vehicles caught fire in Chattogram city. But police could not confirm whether those were acts of arson.

In Sarishabari  of Jamalpur,  three carriages of Jamuna Express were set alight around 1:20am today, said the fire service.

No casualties were reported.

Meanwhile, police fired shots into the air to foil a procession of BNP activists in support of the hartal in Sylhet's Bandarbazar area around 7:00pm.

Mohammad Ali Mahmud, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said a BNP activist was detained from the spot.

At a virtual press briefing yesterday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the government deployed thousands of BGB, police, and Rab members to assume power again and had the polls schedule announced for a one-party election with the "obedient" chief election commissioner.

Since October 28, at least 13,210 party leaders and activists were arrested across the country and 296 cases were filed, he said. Of them, 310 were held yesterday.

When the police can't find BNP activists, they are picking up family members and relatives, Rizvi said.

The country's prisons are overflowing with opposition leaders and activists and yet the government is continuing with its massive crackdown on the opposition to stay in power and establish an autocratic regime, Rizvi said.

"In fear of the wholesale arrests, only Awami League leaders and activists live in their houses in villages and towns. No one can do business and their regular activities. Many families have to live without food as family members are staying elsewhere."

The police are detaining people and freeing many of them in exchange for money, Rizvi said.

"What country are we living in? This government gives the law enforcers a licence to run the arrest trade. The rule of law in the country has been virtually destroyed," Rizvi added.

In another development, Rab said it detained 497 people on charges of vandalism and torching vehicles from different places across the country since October 28.

Rab is also escorting long-haul buses and tankers.

Besides patrolling, Rab members will also be on the streets and on buses in plainclothes to protect the people's lives and properties, said Khandaker Al Moin, director of Rab's legal and media wing, at a press briefing yesterday.