The BNP claimed that at least 515 of its leaders and activists were detained yesterday, the first day of BNP and Jamaat's fresh 48-hour nationwide blockade.

Two people suffered burn injuries when a lorry was set on fire in Gazipur's Kaliganj early in the morning and from 8:00 to 9:22 last night, four buses were torched in Bogura, Barguna and the capital's Jigatola and Banani.

In Bogura, police used firearms and teargas to disperse Jamaat activists who blocked Bogura-Rangpur highway at Baghopara yesterday morning.

Jamaat claimed 10 of its activists suffered pellet wounds when police attacked their peaceful supporters.

However, Snikdho Akhtar, additional superintendent of police in Bogura, said Jamaat activists might have been injured by their own crude bombs.

He added that police fired two shots from shotguns and used teargas because Jamaat activists threw crude bombs and brick chunks at them.

In the Baropur area of Bogura town, about 12 people threw brick chunks at vehicles and set fire to a CNG-run-auto rickshaw, locals said, adding that a crude bomb was also exploded.

BNP men burnt tyres on Dhaka-Kishoreganj highway in Gazipur's Kapasia upazila in the morning.

Besides, arsonists set fire to a bus of Sharmili Paribahan in Sreepur, and another bus of Akash Paribahan in the capital's Tantibazar yesterday evening, said firefighters.

Gazipur police detained six BNP men, including its executive committee member Kazi Sayedul Alam Babul, when they were trying to block the Dhaka-Tangail highway.

This has been BNP-Jamaat's third nationwide blockade of rail, road and waterways in two weeks.

The BNP and Jamaat demand election under a non-partisan caretaker government. The government maintains that the demand is unconstitutional.

Addressing a virtual press briefing yesterday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said law enforcers arrested at least 9,466 leaders and activists in 186 cases across the country after October 28 when the party's rally in Nayapaltan ended in violent clashes with police.

The BNP also claimed 18 cases were filed against 1,912 named and many unnamed activists in the 24 hours preceding yesterday evening.

In 11 days following October 28, Dhaka Metropolitan Police alone arrested 1,696 people and filed 117 cases over violence. Of them, 60 were arrested and five cases were lodged yesterday.

Meanwhile, a Pirojpur court yesterday sent local BNP leader Gazi Ohiduzzaman Lavlu to jail, a day after he was arrested on Bailey Road in Dhaka.

Police also arrested Noakhali Jamaat Secretary Nizam Uddin Faruk and Sonaimuri upazila BNP President Mohammad Anwarul Haque Kamal on charges of sabotage.