4 buses torched, cocktail thrown inside vehicle in city

Four passenger buses were set on fire at different areas of the city from Saturday evening till 8:30am today as the 48 hours hartal started this morning enforced by BNP-Jamaat and its like-minded political parties.

However, no casualties were reported during the fire incidents, said Fire Service and Civil Defence official Mohammad Shahjahan Shikder.

“Around 8:30 this morning, a CNG run auto-rickshaw caught fire near city’s Kazi Alauddin Road after a cocktail was tossed inside it. On information, a Siddikbazar unit of fire service rushed to the spot and extinguished the flames,” Fire Service Media Cell official Talha bin-Jasim told BSS.

“Two separate passenger buses were torched in city’s Gulistan toll plaza area around 7:40 pm and Mirpur Kafrul area around 6:50 pm on Saturday,” he added.

Another bus of Basumati Paribahan was set on fire around 11:58pm on Saturday on Mirpur Kalshi road as a bus of Moumita Paribahan was also torched around 11:47 pm in front of Dhanmondi Lab-Aid hospital in the city, the fire service official said.

According to Fire service statistics, a total 183 vehicles including- 108 buses, 20 trucks, 12 covered vans, eight motorbikes, three micro buses, three pick-up vans, three CNG run auto-rickshaw, three legunas (human hauler), two private cars, two trains, an ambulance, a nosiman (human hauler), a fire service truck and a police patrol jeep were set ablaze across the country since October 28 rally of BNP.

Five people including two fire-fighters, as well, sustained burn injuries in the fire incidents. (BSS)