Bus catches fire in Dhaka after series of cocktail blasts

A bus caught fire in front of Kafrul Police Station in Dhaka on Friday night, hours after a series of cocktail explosions were reported at several locations in the capital.

The fire broke out in a Mirpur Super Link bus around 10:14 PM, said Fire Service duty officer Shahjahan Islam.

Two Fire Service units were sent to the scene after receiving the report, he said.

The cause of the fire and whether anyone was injured were not immediately known.

Earlier, two cocktails exploded near the Sোহag Paribahan counter on the road beside Malibagh rail crossing after Friday prayers.

Later in the evening, two more cocktail explosions occurred in the Mohakhali area, while another exploded on a road near the Bangladesh Betar building in Agargaon.

Five cocktails were also reported to have exploded in Jatrabari, injuring a rickshaw puller. The injured man was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The explosions occurred while vehicles and pedestrians were moving through the Jatrabari area, causing panic among local residents and passers-by. 

Police and senior law enforcement officials reached the scene shortly after the incidents, and additional police were deployed in the area.

sks