Siraha, March 6:

The indefinite Tarai bandh called by the Tharu community crippled normal life in most of the Tarai districts for the fifth consecutive day today. Industries, bazaars and educational institutions remained closed and vehicles stayed off the roads today as well.

The agitators last night torched a cargo truck at Padaria VDC in the district for defying their bandh.

The local administration issued a curfew order in Lahan from 5 am today. Thousands of passengers have been stranded in different districts.

Meanwhile, the agitators continued with the demonstration in Inaruwa, Jhumka, Pakali, Khanar and Duhabi of Sunsari today as well. They vandalised a bus and three motorcycles in course of their protest. The demonstrators did not allow even bicycles to ply on the roads.

“Only a few people can be seen in market areas. Our business have gone down drastically,” Ram Pradhan, chairman of Hariwan Business Union in Sarlahi, said.

According to our Nawalparasi correspondent, four policemen were injured when police and agitators clashed at Bardaghat today. The clash ensued after the agitators tried to vandalise a police post in Bardaghat. Police fired dozens of tear gas shells and fired five times in the air to disperse the mob.

In Bara, the agitators vandalised four trucks for defying the bandh. They also padlocked the VDC offices in Tilakpur, Sarawal, Panchanagar and Manhari. According to Bara District Police Office, the agitators disrupted traffic on the Pathlaiya-Bigunj road.

In Rautahat, the agitators camped in the middle of the road in Chandranigahpur to obstruct traffic along the East-West Highway.

Meanwhile, National Federation of Indigenous Nationalities and Chure Bhavar Ekata Party expressed solidarity with the ongoing protest of the Tharu community.