Petrol bomb attacks turn deadly: 24 dead so far

It has appeared as a new terror tactic in Bangladesh’s rogue politics.

You are travelling on a bus at night and suddenly from a dark corner somebody throws a petrol bomb.

It takes only a few seconds for the whole vehicle to go up in flames, burning those inside.

Nobody is caught, no-one takes responsibility. Only the victims suffer excruciating pain and death.

In such terror petrol bomb attacks at least 24 people were so far killed and 153 injured in the last 28 days across the country since the BNP-led 20-party alliance-enforced blockade.

Seven people, the highest number in a single terror attack, were killed in Comilla while the second highest death count was in Rangpur at six.

The death toll in political violence climbed to 48 with the latest arson attack in Comilla today. At least 33 people among the dead victims so far were innocents without any ties to politics.

An edgy political situation erupted in the country after the January 5 election last year. In the one-sided election boycotted by the BNP-led opposition alliance, Awami League sealed an easy two-third majority.

Since the election, the opposition alliance has been demanding a fresh, fair and inclusive election under a caretaker government. Some powerful countries including the US and donor agencies also mounted pressure on the government for holding an inclusive election. But the government did not pay its heed.

To mark the first anniversary of the one-sided election as 'democracy killing day', the BNP-led 20-party alliance decided to hold a rally on January 5 in Dhaka this year.

As the government did not allow the alliance to hold the rally and barred BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from going out of her Gulshan office, she called the countrywide nonstop blockade at the end of the day, which turned violent.

Khaleda, who has been staying in her Gulshan office since January 3, was kept confined to the office for more than two weeks till January 18 in the name of "stepping up her security".

Since then, she has been staying in the office at her own wish though the government had relaxed the security measures there. She also expressed her determination to continue with the countrywide blockade.

Hours after the BNP-led alliance waged a 72-hour hartal from Sunday morning coinciding with the ongoing blockade that enters its 29th day today, the connections of electricity, cable and internet to Khaleda’s office were suspended early Saturday.

Amid huge criticism, the electricity line has been restored on the same day after more than 19 hours into its suspension. However, cable, internet and phone lines to the office remain disconnected as of today.

A day after the BNP’s threat to continue its ongoing blockade and hartal for an indefinite period if the authorities do not restore the services, the party-led alliance today extended its ongoing 72-hour hartal till 6:00pm Thursday.