Two buses set on fire as Bangladesh opposition's 48-hour shutdown begins

Two buses were reportedly torched in Chittagong on Saturday morning during protests spearheaded by the opposition BNP-led alliance.

A Dhaka Tribune report said that on Friday night, one person was also held with six crude bombs. He was picked up from the Fouzdarhat area of the national capital.

The opposition has called for a dialogue to hold fresh polls under non-partisan government and scrap the elections.

Meanwhile, Osman Faruq, a spokesperson for Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( BNP), said that the strike is also aimed at protesting against the confinement of party chief Khaleda Zia.

Faruq dismissed the elections as a "farce" to ensure the continuation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government and urged people to refrain from casting ballots.

He further said that the ongoing nationwide blockade of rail, roads and waterways will continue alongside the shutdown.