Police have ramped up security measures by setting up several checkpoints on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, including Siddhirganj's Mouchak, ahead of the BNP's divisional rally in the capital on Dec 10.
Law enforcers have been conducting searches on Dhaka-bound buses at the checkpoints since 9 am on Thursday, reports bdnews24.com.
Inspector Habibur Rahman of Siddhirganj Police Station said police are on high alert to prevent any violent incident around the BNP rally. They are checking vehicles for explosives, he added.
Police personnel were seen questioning passengers and drivers at the checkpoints on Thursday. They also searched passengers’ bags and private cars. No arrest was made until noon.
Shafiqul Islam, a passenger on a Dhaka-bound bus operated by Alif Exclusive Paribahan, said he faced the police twice -- once at Daudkandi and again at Mouchak. His baggage was also checked by law enforcers.
Search operations were underway at seven checkpoints across Narayanganj, according to the district's Superintendent of Police Golam Mostafa Russell.
Passengers also claimed that there were fewer vehicles on the roads than usual. Md Sumon, a staff member at a private hospital in Mouchak, said he had to wait for more than half an hour to catch a bus ride.
Dhaka-bound bus services have been operating normally so far. The authorities will decide their next move later in the day, said Didarul Islam, president of Narayanganj Bus-Minibus Owners Association.