DHAKA: A fresh 72-hour hartal, sponsored by BNP-led 20-party alliance, has started across the country since Sunday morning.

The hartal began at 6:00am of the day and will continue till 6:00am Wednesday, coupled with a nationwide road-rail-waterway blockade for indefinite period.

Prior to the beginning of the shutdown, stray incidents were reported across the country Saturday night.

In Sylhet, miscreants set fire to a gas refueling station by exploding cocktails in city’s Mirabazar area. Petrol bomb was also hurled at a goods-laden truck there.

Three people, including a woman and her daughter, sustained burn injuries when miscreants hurled petrol bombs on Sylhet-bound ‘Paharika Express’ train in Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj district Saturday night.

Earlier, BNP Joint Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed, on behalf of the alliance, declared the sixth spell of shutdown through issuing statement Friday afternoon.

The statement said that the fresh shutdown was called in demand of holding free and fair general election under a nonpartisan government, and releasing all detained leaders and political prisoners of the alliance.

The alliance also came up with the shutdown in protest of extra juridical killings carried out allegedly by law enforcing agencies across the country, it added.

In previous five weeks, country witnessed a series of shutdowns by the alliances, which were followed by a two-day break during the weekend only.

Meanwhile, the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations and equivalents, scheduled for February 12 and March 1, were shifted to March 13 and 14 respectively due to the shutdown.

In addition to the hartal, a nationwide blockade is underway for indefinite period since January 5 protesting government’s bar to obverse the ‘democracy killing day’ and BNP chairpersonson Khaleda Zia’s ‘confinement’ in Gulshan political office.

On that day, incumbent Awami League government marked the first year of its 5-year tenure since it takes office through January 5 polls, which BNP boycotted.

BDST: 0650 HRS, MAR 01, 2015/updated 0830 HRS