A 72-hour countrywide hartal, called by the BNP-led 20-party alliance, is underway on Sunday.

The shutdown began around 6am and will end at 6am on Wednesday.

BNP Joint Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed in a statement on Saturday made the announcement.

After ending hartal during five working days last week alongside nonstop roads, waterways and railways blockade, the alliance declared hartal again.

The statement said the strike was called to press home for the alliance's demand of a fresh polls under a nutral caretaker government, establishing people's voting rights and democracy and release of arrested leaders and activists.

Killings of and torturing on the leaders and activists of the alliance parties, Interference in judiciary, controlling the media and confinement of Khaleda zia at her Gulshan office were also protested in the statement.

Presence of motorised vehicles was almost normal on the capital streets.

The SSC and its equivalent exams which were scheduled for Sunday, have been deferred to Friday due to hartal.

TF