All schools and colleges were closed, major markets remained shut down and vehicles were off the roads in Kathmandu and other major cities of the country in response to the shut down.
Business activities were down and people faced hardships in absence of both private and public transport services.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai's government has increased the price of petroleum products five times within a period of one year.
The market prices of essential commodities have soared over the past few years as one after another government formed since the 2006 Peoples Movement that abolished monarchy, failed to control price rise, check corruption and irregularities resulting in frustration among the general public.
