3 crude bombs blasted near Tangail school

Three crude bombs were blasted near a school in Tangail town during the first day of the BNP-led 20-party alliance's 72-hour countrywide hartal (shutdown) today.

The blast took place in front of the main gate of Bindubasini Government Girls' High School around 9:15am when the student were attending classes, our Tangail correspondent reports quoting Mustafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Tangail Sadar Police Station.

Panic stricken students left the school premises immediately following the blasts but none was hurt, the police official said.

Apart from this, no unexpected incident was reported from anywhere across the country till 10:30am when the report was filed.

In Dhaka city, vehicular movement remains normal. A good number of private car owners have dared to come out to the city roads defying today's hartal, creating traffic jam at some key points.

Commuters were seen waiting for buses to go to their offices and other destinations in the morning.

The BNP-led 20-party alliance yesterday called a fresh spell of 72-hour countrywide shutdown from today, protesting the "arrest" of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed.

The shutdown, beginning at 6:00am today, will continue until 6:00am Wednesday, according to a press statement issued by BNP Joint Secretary General Barkatullah Bulu.

The alliance has been enforcing hartal on all working days since February 1 on top of its countrywide indefinite blockade from January 6, demanding a fresh election under a non-party administration.

At least 86 people have been killed and over a thousand injured so far in the ongoing political turmoil.