Trucker, helper burnt in Comilla

Aleya Begum bursts into tears at Dhaka Medical College Hospital as her son Mujibur Rahman, a truck helper, sustained severe burn-injury as miscreants set fire to a carrier truck in Debidwar upazila of Comilla on Monday during opposition combine-called blockade and hartal. Photo: Focus Bangla

A trucker and his helper suffered burn injuries when the activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student with, Islami Chhatra Shibir, set fire to a running truck in Debidwar upazila of Comilla this morning.

Mujibur Rahman, 30, helper of the truck was whisked off to Comilla Medical College and Hospital with 50 percent burn injuries, said Abdul Hannan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Debidwar Police Station.

The arson attack came during the countrywide hartal (shutdown) enforced by Jamaat-e-Islami protesting the issuance of death warrant for its leader Abdul Quader Mollah.

The hartal is an addition to a 72-hour countrywide blockade that started from Saturday morning. The BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance in which Jamaat is a key component is enforcing the blockade.

The law enforcers detained two Shibir activists in connection with the incident, the OC said.

Blockaders set fire to the Sylhet-bound goods-laden truck from Comilla in Baniapara area around 6:00am, leaving the two injured, he said.

AKM Mukit, duty doctor of the medical college hospital, told The Daily Star that they are preparing to send Mojibur to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital as his condition was critical.

Trucker Abdur Rahman, 47, has received primary treatment from the CMCH, he added.