Biratnagar, September 9:

The indefinite Tarai bandh called by the Madhesi Mukti Tigers yesterday, today’s Tarai bandh called by the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Biswas faction and the three-day bandh called by the Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha-Jwala Singh from yesterday, badly affected life in the Tarai today.

Hardly any vehicle plied on the Tarai roads and markets, educational institutions, factories and trading establishments remaining closed. Cadres of different agitating groups vandalised several vehicles and also set ablaze microbuses. MJF-Biswas cadres held captive CPN-UML leader and former parliamentarian Guru Baral, who was proceeding towards Urlabari, and mistreated him at at Neta chowk here. They also vandalised his motorcycle.

Morang, Sunsari, Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Parsa, Bara, Rautahat and Kapilbastu districts were badly affected by the bandhs.

In Biratnagar, even rickshaws were not allowed to ply though a few motorcycles plied.

In Sunsari, JTMM -J cadres torched two microbuses, one at Bhokraha and another at Narsingh in the past 24 hours, said the district police office.

JTMM-J Sunsari in charge Krish claimed responsibility for the arson.

In Bara, agitators vandalised a Kathmandu-bound bus at Parwanipur. In Siraha, there is an acute crisis of items of daily use.

Meanwhile, the Bara chapters of the Nepal Transport Independent Workers’ Union and

Child Protection Nepal appealed to the agitating groups to call off their agitation.