Dozens of govt establishments set ablaze

Many government establishments across the country came under attack yesterday like the day before amid the ongoing violence.

Government offices in Dhaka and several other districts were set ablaze and vanalised. Metro rail stations, BRTA offices, and Matsya Bhaban were also attacked.

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Several offices of the ruling Awami League and some houses of its leaders were ransacked.

Cars parked inside and outside the Department of Disaster Management building in Mohakhali were left completely charred after an arson attack there. Photo: Prabir Das

In Dhaka, demonstrators vandalised the Mirpur-10 and Kazipara metro rail stations last evening.

"Metro rail was not in  service today [yesterday] and the gates were shut, but the criminals broke open the gates of the two stations and vandalised the first floor of each of those," said an official of metro rail authority.

Meanwhile, the metro railway authority yesterday said operation of metro rail will remain suspended from today for an indefinite period due to the ongoing situation.

Arsonists set ablaze the office of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) in Mirpur-10.

Demonstrators vandalised the BRTA headquarters and Setu Bhaban at Chairmanbari in the capital's Banani.

"Around 50 vehicles weretorched at Setu Bhaban yesterday [Thursday]. The first floor of the Setu Bhaban was vandalised and set on fire today [yesterday]. Three floors of the BRTA head office were also set ablaze," said an official of the road transport and bridges ministry.

Arsonists also set fire to Mirpur Indoor Stadium, Matsya Bhaban in Ramna, Drug Administration Bhaban in Tejgaon, a toll plaza of Dhaka Elevated Expressway in Mohakhali, an office of the Police Bureau of Investigation in Banasree, Dhaka North City Corporation regional office-3 at Mohakhali, regional office-1 in Uttara, regional office-5 in Mohammadpur, Uttara Community Centre and Shuchona Community Centre in Mohammadpur, Rampura pump house, an old building of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in Mohakhali, Dhaka Wasa office at Hatirjheel and an Ansar camp in Badda.

Similar incidents of arson attacks and vandalism were reported in Narayanganj, Narasingdi, Tangail, Savar in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Sylhet.

In Narsingdi, demonstrators attacked the district jail and broke open its gates, leading to the escape of many prisoners, said police.

Criminals torched the Madhabdi municipality office and two police outposts in Narsingdi Sadar upazila. The district council office at Bhelanagar of Sadar upazila also came under an attack.

In Savar, protesters set ablaze a police box, four buses and a truck, and vandalised a hospital, a DB office and five AL offices.

In Chattogram, demonstrators set fire to two traffic police boxes in Kazir Dewri and New Market and an AL office in New Market area.

In Sylhet, protesters vandalised a SUV of Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed, the vice-chancellor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, at MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital yesterday.

In Narayanganj, demonstrators vandalised the regional passport office on the Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road in Signboard area around 9:00pm on Thursday. Almost all the furniture and documents in the three-storey building, including about 8,000 passport booklets, were damaged in the fire.

Criminals also torched the district PBI office in Signboard area on Thursday night. Five vehicles parked at the office were burnt.

On Wednesday and Thursday, protesters set ablaze at least 30 establishments, including the main building of Bangladesh Television in the capital's Rampura, during clashes with BGB personnel and police in Dhaka and several other districts.