Arson attack in Dhaka leaves at least 27 people burned

At least 27 people have been burned in yet another arson attack on a bus by suspected blockade supporters in capital Dhaka, police say.

The incident took place on Demra Road in Jatrabarhi's Mollar Bridge area around 9:30pm on Friday, said Jatrabarhi Police Station Sub-Inspector (SI) Emranul Islam.

The BNP and its smaller partners have since Jan 5 been sponsoring the transport blockade that has been spewing deadly violence.

SI Islam told bdnews24.com the bus which was on way to Narayanganj's Rupganj caught fire after miscreants hurled Molotov cocktails at it.

Most of the passengers were burnt as the entire bus caught fire in moments.

At least 29 injured including the 27 who were burned were taken to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).

Those admitted at the hospital's burns unit were identified as Joynal Abedin Molla, 30, Salahuddin Polash, 40, 'Shahid', 30, Taqdir Islam, 28, 'Salman', 20, 'Nazmul', 25, Mosharraf Hossain, 40, 'Salahuddin', 40, 'Sahida', 26, Yasir Arafat, 25, 'Rashed', 22, 'Momen', 28, 'Khokan', 25, 'Haris', 25, Nure Alam, 30, Shahjahan Sardar, 60, Jamir Ali, 40, 'Tanvir', 20, Abu Miah, 50, Al Amin, 25, 'Shahidul', 45, Abdul Mannan, 60, Mozaffar Molla, 'Sumon', 'Faruq', and 'Rubel'.

DMCH burns unit coordinator Samanta Lal Sen told bdnews24.com that six of them were in critical condition.

However, the levels of burns these injured had sustained could not be immediately determined.

Two others --'Afroza', 30, and Ishtiaq Mohammad Babar, 32, -- with different injuries were also admitted at the DMCH.

Some of the injured said they had only heard a loud bang and then the bus was on fire.

Fire Service control room official Ataur Rahman earlier said two fire-fighting units dispatched immediately had put out the fire.