Dhaka:  Police arrested 21 leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-Shibir for ‘sabotage plan’ from different places in Dhaka during a drive continuing for 24 hours till Wednesday morning.

DMP deputy commissioner (media) Masudur Rahman said eight leaders and activists of BNP and 13 of Jamaat-Shibir were arrested for planning subversive activities on the fourth day of the 120-hour nationwide hartal enforced by the BNP-led 20-Party Alliance alongside its countrywide indefinite transport blockade.

While its 72-hour nationwide hartal was scheduled to end at 6.00am Wednesday, the 20-Party Alliance on Monday relaxed its ongoing hartal for 12 hours from 6:00am to 6:00pm on Tuesday for the celebrations of the Bangladesh cricket team’s quarterfinal berth in the ICC Cricket World Cup for the first time.

Besides, the 20-Party once again extended its ongoing nationwide hartal by 48 hours till 6:00am Friday.

The BNP alliance made the announcements through a press release signed by BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan.

The alliance for the sixth time extended its 72-hour hartal to 120 hours.

The 20-party’s hartal programme again started at 6:00pm Tuesday to end at 6:00am Friday alongside the blockade.

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia called the indefinite blockade from January 6 as the government did not allow her party and its allies to hold protest rallies in the capital on 5 January.