9 buses on fire in Dhaka: police suspect subversive activity

At least eight buses and a minibus were torched in different parts of Dhaka within a span of a few hours this afternoon.

Eight of the incidents happened within a span of two hours, according to Fire Service and Civil Defence and witnesses.

The first incident took place at Nayapaltan at 12:30pm, followed by torching of a bus in front of Modhumita Cinema Hall in Motijheel at 12:35pm, Bangabandhu Avenue at 1:30pm, in front of Aziz Super Market at Shahbagh at 1:38pm, Kataban at 1:35pm, Shahjahanpur at 1:47pm, Secretariat North Gate at 2:00pm, Nayabazar at Bongshal at 2:28pm, and on Progati Sarani at 4:30pm, according to the fire fighters, witnesses and police.

Though the reason behind the fires could not be known immediately, police suspect the incidents were part of a plan to create chaos.

"Torching of buses at nine places is part of a plan to deteriorate law and order situation," Md Walid Hossain, deputy commissioner, media and public relations division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police told The Daily Star.

Abu Bakar Siddiq, officer-in-charge of Paltan Police Station, said police arrested nine people so far in connection with the incidents.

DC Walid Hossain said police arrested one person at Turag area of Uttara around noon with a crude bomb when he was trying to carry out subversive activity.

The arrestee, Sohel, who lives in Tongi College Road area was hired to carry out subversive activities, he added.

He also said scrutinising CCTV footages and talking with witnesses, police identified several attackers and came to know the people who planned the attacks.

The fire incidents happened when the voting at Dhaka-18 constituency was going on with BNP candidate SM Jahangir Hossain claiming that his polling agents were kicked out from several centres by ruling party men and law enforcers.

Hours after the incidents, police cordoned off BNP's central office at Nayapaltan.

BNP spokesperson Imran Saleh Prince claimed police picked up seven party leaders and activists including an assistant organising secretary while they were trying to enter the party office.

A fruit vendor, who witnessed the incident, said, "Suddenly I saw fire at the rear end of a Shahbagh-bound bus at northern gate of the secretariat at 2:00pm. Passengers got off hurriedly."

"Initially all thought that the bus caught fire from the engine," he told The Daily Star, adding he saw three youths getting down from the bus first.

Sajib Kazi, another street vendor on Bangabandhu Avenue, said a bus was stuck in traffic jam. "All of a sudden, I saw smoke at the rear side of the bus and within a few seconds fire engulfed the whole bus. Passengers managed to get down."

Duty officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence Russel Shikder said no causality was reported in the incidents. He said on receiving information their units rushed to douse the fires.

Police were seen guarding different places in the capital since the afternoon.