Four buses torched in Mirpur, 3 held on eve of BNP’s blockade

Arsonists target buses before the fifth round of the BNP’s blockade

Arsonists have set fire to four buses in Dhaka’s Mirpur on the night before the BNP’s fifth round of nationwide transport blockade as part of antigovernment protests.

Two Manarat International University buses were set ablaze in the Nobaberbagh Uttarpara area of Beribadh dam along the Turag river around 8:15pm on Tuesday.

Another bus of Shuktara Paribahan was set on fire in the Dwipnagar area of the Beribadh around 11pm.

All three buses were parked on the dam.

A BRTC double-decker also set alight at Mirpur-10 around 9pm, according to Talha Bin Zashim, a spokesperson for the Fire Service and Civil Defence. Firefighters doused the flames later, he said.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police said in a statement at midnight that one suspect was detained at the scene of the fire in Mirpur-10. Police detained two others following information from the suspect.

The three suspects are Md Hafizur Rahman, 35, Shahidul Islam, 20, and Md Shamim, 45.

The BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami have been enforcing nationwide transport blockades since Oct 31 after a general strike and rallies marked by clashes with police.

The fire service said 154 arson attacks occurred in the 17 days across the country.