Double blow for arson victims

Five microbuses and two ambulances carrying three arson victims, two of them in critical condition, from Chandpur came under a robbery attack in Daudkandi of Comilla early yesterday.

The gang took away four cellphones from two drivers of the ambulances and two of their associates and looted Tk 4 lakh at gunpoint, around 3:00am near Goalmari Bazar, one driver Mofiz told The Daily Star by phone.

They were intercepted on the Matlab-Daudkandi bypass road by a microbus of the robbers, and the patients were forced to get down from the ambulances during the raid, he added.

Unidentified arsonists attacked a truck in Chandpur sadar upazila early Thursday, burning Khorshed, a cattle trader, Sharif, the truck owner, and Rubel, the truck helper.

Khorshed suffered 75 percent burns, Sharif 60 percent, and Rubel 25 percent burns, said doctors at Chandpur General Hospital where they were initially admitted.

 The three finally reached Dhaka Medical College Hospital at 5:00pm.

Locals say a 10km stretch from Sreerayer Char and Daudkandi on the bypass is heavily infested with robbers, but there have been hardly any remedial measures from police.

Officer-in-Charge of Matlab (North) Police Station Syed Mahbubur Rahman said two or three robbery attacks were reported every week on the bypass road.

However, Abul Kalam Mia, OC of Daudkandi, where the bypass falls, denied even knowing about yesterday's robbery and initially refused to give his name to this correspondent.

The Matlab OC said they had strengthened patrol in their area, while Superintendent of Police of Chandpur Amir Jafar said he would talk to Daudkandi police about the frequent robberies.