10 vehicles burned in Dhaka, more torched, vandalised across Bangladesh

At least 10 vehicles have been torched in capital Dhaka alone, while the incidents of arson and vandalism on highways across Bangladesh amid the BNP’s blockade has gone up.

The surge in such events occurred only 24 hours after the number of long-distance vehicles on highways increased in defiance of the transport blockade.

At least 10 more vehicles were torched and around 40 others vandalised on different highways across the country despite tight security.

After BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia called the indefinite nationwide blockade since Jan 5, frequent arson attacks were reported in the capital.

Six buses were torched on Tuesday, while four more the following day. Three buses were set on fire Thursday.

The Awami League and police claim the blockade supporters were behind the arson, while the BNP blames the government for these ‘acts of sabotage’.

The arson incidents across Dhaka have kept fire-fighters busy. Nine vehicles were set on fire until 9pm Saturday, said Fire Service control room official Bhajan Sarker.

Only 30 minutes later, the 10th vehicle, belonging to the BNP chief’s Adviser Sabihuddin Ahmed, was torched near Khaleda’s Gulshan office.

Khaleda is spending her days inside her office since Jan 3 with the building cordoned off by police. Both entry points of the road have been barricaded by the law enforcers.

Earlier in the evening, three buses were set on fire at Baridhara, Mirpur-1, Shonir Akhra, two covered vans at Kakrail and at Jatrabarhi’s Signboard area, and another bus at Shahbagh.

Around Saturday noon, a bus was set ablaze at South Banasree, while two more were set on fire in front of Tejgaon Women’s College and at Motijheel in the morning.

Of Friday, 10 vehicles had been torched in the capital.

Meanwhile, blockade supporters first vandalised a bus and then set it on fire near the Sutiparha bus stand on the Dhaka-Aricha highway Saturday night, said Dhamrai Police Station OC Firoz Talukder.

In Dinajpur, seven trucks and a lorry were torched at different parts of the day in four different Upazilas. A potato-laden truck was set in fire at Kantonagar on the Dinajpur-Panchagarh road.

Police said the truck driver’s assistant was burnt in the blaze. He was admitted to the Dinajpur Medical College and Hospital.

In Joypurhat, another truck was torched around 9pm Saturday on the Joypurhat-Bogra highway at Baniaparha.

Blockade supporters also vandalised at least 40 vehicles and set ablaze two others in different incidents of violence in Feni on Saturday.

In Lakshmipur, police said activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir blasted five handmade bombs in Miah Rastar Matha on the Lakshmipur-Ramgoti road and vandalised at least five vehicles earlier in the morning.