Another 15 arrested over torching of buses

Police yesterday arrested 15 more people in connection with the cases filed over arson attack on buses and subversive activities in the capital on Tuesday.

With them, so far 47 people have been arrested since the incidents, said Walid Hossain, deputy commissioner, media and public relations of DMP.

Police filed 16 cases with different police stations in Dhaka on Tuesday and Wednesday after about 12 buses were torched and several crude bombs were exploded in the city on Thursday, the day of polling in the by-polls to Dhaka-18 parliamentary seat.

Police in the cases mentioned that BNP activists were attempting to foil the election.

The charges brought against several hundred accused, mostly BNP men, includes attempted murder by torching buses, sabotage attempt, exploding bombs and possessing explosives.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Road Transport Workers' Federation yesterday staged demonstration protesting the torching of buses.

Dhaka city unit of the federation organised a rally in front of Jatiya Press Club where federation's acting president and Awami League lawmaker Shajahan Khan blamed BNP-Jamaat men for the arson attack.

He said when the government is trying to restore economy hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, BNP-Jamaat alliance is trying destabilise the situation. He demanded arrest and punishment of the perpetrators.

Shajahan Khan also demanded forming a special tribunal and punish the perpetrators responsible for killing 92 transport workers by petrol bomb and arson attack in between 2013 and 2015.

Federation's general secretary Osman Ali threatened to go for tougher movement if the government failed to arrest and punish the perpetrators of November 12 attacks.

Dhaka unit's convener Sadiqur Rahman Hiru presided over the programme.