Bus helper killed in sleep as vehicle torched in Gazipur
A bus helper was burnt to death in his sleep as miscreants allegedly set fire to the vehicle in Kaliakoir upazila of Gazipur early today during the dawn-to-dusk nationwide hartal of BNP-led 20-party alliance.
The victim was identified as Tofazzal Hossain, 20, of Narayantala in Sunamganj, reports our Gazipur correspondent.
Driver Selim Miah, after his duty, parked the bus beside his house in Mohishbathan Battala area on Dhaka-Tangail highway around 2:30am, said Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kaliakoir Police Station.
Like other days, Tofazzal went to sleep inside the bus, the OC said.
Around 3:30am, locals noticed that the bus was on fire, he added.
Informed, firefighting unit with the help of police and locals doused the blaze and recovered the charred body of Toffazal from inside the bus.
The fire might have originated in the bus from a mosquito coal or due to arson attack, the police official said.
The body was later sent to Gazipur Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.
Bus owner Mofizur Rahman, also Sramik League president of Kaliakoir unit, claimed that the bus was torched for his Wednesday’s anti-hartal speech.
The bus was used for transporting garment workers, the owner said.
The alliance enforced the 12-hour nationwide hartal since 6:00am today protesting the gun attack on BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's adviser Reaz Rahman at the capital's Gulshan-2 on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, it is observing a countrywide nonstop blockade since December 5 as the government did not allow her party and allies to hold protest rallies in the capital.
In Natore, a driver and helper were injured when pickets torched a Rajshahi bound cement-laden truck at Ahammadpur area on Natore-Dhaka highway in sadar upazila of the district around 5:00am.
After setting fire to the vehicle, the pickets snatched money from the driver, reports our Natore correspondent.
Later fire fighters from Natore fire station rushed to the spot and doused the blaze.
Truck driver Ajay Kumer, 35, and helper Rasel Hossain, 28, are undergoing treatment at Natore Sadar Hospital.
Munshi Sahabuddin, additional superintendent of police in Natore said that police are trying to arrest the pickets.
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