Police have taken into custody over 150 activists affiliated to the seven party opposition alliance across the country as they were trying to enforce `Nepal bandh’–the nationwide shutdown strike called in protest of detention of opposition leaders and rights activists in Kathmandu last week.

At least a person has been injured when police opened fire at a group of demonstrators in the western town of Pokhara on Thursday.

According to reports, 28-year-old Basudev Baral was hit in his leg when police opened fire to control an irate crowd. He is undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

Eye witnesses said the opposition activists who were trying to enforce the nationwide shutdown strike were provoked when police started beating them indiscriminately near Prithvi Chowk. At least half a dozen activists and an equal number of security personnel have been injured during the clashes.

Police have arrested over two dozen activists in Pokhara, according to reports. The situation is still tense and sporadic clashes is going on between the security personnel and the demonstrators, a journalist based in the tourist town said. There is total shutdown strike in the valley, he said.

In a separate incident, police opened fire in the air to disperse the rally of at opposition activists at Dolakha of Dolakha district. A number of activists have been arrested. There is total ‘bandh’ at the district headquarter.

Over four dozen activists were arrested in the southern town of Bhairahawa as they were out in the streets to enforce bandh. Dozens of opposition activists have been arrested in Biratnagar, Chitwan, Palpa and Nuwakot districts also, among others, during the course of ‘bandh.’

In the far-western town of Dhangadhi, police have taken into custody some two dozen opposition activists including Nepali Congress leader and former MP Sunil Kumar Bhandari. There is total ‘bandh’ in the far-western town, according to reports. Mid-western town of Nepalgunj also looks totally deserted, according to reports.

Opposition activists had pelted stones at the office of the Election Commission in Dhangadhi and also damaged a police vechile, reports said.

At least 30 opposition activists were arrested in southern town of Birgunj. They were arrested after the activists entered into the local office of the Election Commission and tore down election-related papers. In the eastern town of Dhankuta, activists burnt ballot box and chanted slogans against the municipal elections, reports said.

The authorities are yet to provide details of the nationwide arrests of opposition activists.