Miscreants have set ablaze several cabins of two passenger ferries in Barisal amid the BNP’s blockade across Bangladesh.
Published : 20 Jan 2015, 11:32 PM
No casualties, however, were reported in Tuesday night's incident.
The passenger launches, Sundarban-7 and Parabat-10, left for Dhaka after the fire had been put out, BIWTA officials said.
Launches have been running on schedule during the blockade enforced since Jan 5.
Vessels were hitherto not targeted even as the violent campaign killed at least 27 people across Bangladesh.
Sundarban-7 passenger Mehedi Hasan Babu said they had noticed smoke emitting from a cabin on the second floor around 8:30pm.
The launch was promptly taken to mid-river where police, Ansar and the vessel's staff doused the flames.
Its Director Akter Hossain told bdnews24.com that the vessel was taken mid-river to prevent passengers from disembarking in a state of panic.
It was taken to the terminal after the fire was put out.
He said cabin 316 had been gutted while two adjacent cabins were partially damaged.
Meanwhile, a cabin of Parabat-10 was damaged in the arson attack, Manager Md Selim said.
Barisal BIWTA Deputy Director Abul Bashar Majumder said the launches left for Dhaka around 9pm.
Police said they were investigating the arson attacks.