Groups of young Awami League activists hijacked up to five buses at Tongi Bridge this noon to go to the ruling party's rally venue in the capital's Baitul Mukarram area.

They made all passengers get down and loaded the vehicles with activists, many of whom were children in their early teens, our correspondent reports from the spot.

As a Balaka Express bus, which runs from Gazipur to Sayedabad, was being emptied of its paying passengers, its conductor said, "My entire bus was full of passengers. They've all been chased away."

The driver added, "The daily deposit for a bus is Tk 4,000, which has to be handed over to the owner. The fuel expenses are also on us. We will not be reimbursed for this. The bus owner will not excuse the daily deposit."

Bus drivers said this was why they do not take buses out on days when there are political programmes.

The buses were hijacked right near the police checkpoint. Three police personnel, who had been checking vehicles before then, were seen resting in the shade of a nearby shop when the incident happened.

Throughout the morning they had been checking all vehicles except for the buses showing pro-AL slogans, letting them whiz past.

Meanwhile, as the activists hijacked buses, general passengers ran after the rare BRTC double-deckers already stuffed to the brim, plying precariously with passengers hanging out of every open window.