Shesh Narayan Yadav, agitation steering committee Dhanusha district coordinator, said they have decided to allow markets to open from Friday evening till Saturday.He said they took the decision with a view to allow people to celebrate the Raksha Bandhan festival without any hindrance.
As the protests continue, security arrangements have become a matter of great concern for the authorities although they claim to have taken the situation under control in Dhanusha, Mahottari and Sarlahi districts.
"We have not been able to provide security to vehicles plying the East-West Highway," said SSP Suresh Bikram Shah, chief of Janakpur Zone police.
According to him, security arrangements have been tightened in and around the district headquarters as the agitating groups have focused their protests on the market centres. He also admitted that security arrangements along the East-West Highway were a challenge for the security agencies.
An additional 160 security personnel have been brought to Sarlahi, Mahottari and Dhanusha districts from the Hetauda Regional Police Office, informed SSP Shah.
Meanwhile, an unidentified group on Thursday night set ablaze three passenger buses parked in Bardibas Municipality-1, Mahottari district.
Two buses, with registration numbers Na 5 Kha 4994 and Na 5 Kha 2694, and a third that had been purchased only recently and was still marked 'on test', were torched at around 10 p.m. after being doused with petrol, according to Area Police Office, Bardibas. The buses had been parked in Bardibas on the East-West Highway since the last five days.
The vehicles belonged to Mukesh Chaudhary of Aurahi VDC, who was asleep at the time in his rented room.
According to the bus owner, the buses were parked some 300 meters from the police station.
"It was a failing on the part of the police that the buses were set on fire just some meters away," said Ranjit Raj Dhungana, a local youth.
Whoever torched the buses may be the owner's enemies, Inspector Chandeshwor Yadav told Republica, adding that the banda enforcers have not taken responsibility so far.
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