The government has deployed paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) troops to maintain order in the south-western district of Gopalganj, where groups of banned Chhatra League and Awami League activists blocked roads, clashed with police, and carried out arson attacks after calling a strike, police said on Tuesday.
Sporadic clashes with law enforcement agencies, explosions of homemade crude bombs, highway blockades, and processions have been reported since Monday night.
On Tuesday, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters in Tungipara as the activists blocked roads at different points, halting traffic on several routes.
Witnesses said several thousand activists gathered at Tungipara bus stand in the morning. They clashed with police when law enforcement agencies tried to clear the road. At one stage, they set a police van on fire.
The protesters also blocked roads in Kashiani sub-district. Torch processions and crude bomb explosions have been reported in Kotalipara upazila.
Deputy Commissioner of Gopalganj district Arif-uz-Zaman said the situation was brought under control by the afternoon. Six platoons of BGB troops were deployed in strategic locations of the district as a precautionary measure, he said.
Vehicle movement on the Dhaka-Khulna highway has resumed after the situation normalized, said Md Habubullah, police chief of the district.
Police arrested at least eight people for their involvement in troublemaking. They also recovered 15 unexploded crude bombs.
