3 buses set on fire, bomb attacks persist 

Three passenger buses were set on fire at two locations in Dhaka’s Mirpur area on Wednesday, as arson attacks and crude bomb explosions continued in different parts of the country. Police have tightened security across the capital and arrested 466 people during operations over the past 24 hours.

Around 12:45am, miscreants set fire to a parked Chiriakhana City Paribahan bus in front of Jahangir Hotel on Chiriakhana Road under Shah Ali Police Station. The fire damaged 14 to 16 seats, windowpanes and parts of the vehicle’s body, causing an estimated loss of Tk2 lakh to Tk3 lakh.

*    466 nabbed during op over past 24hrs
*    11 leaders of banned AL held in Khagrachhari
*    33 crude bombs blast in country on Tuesday
*    13 vehicles faced arson attacks 

At around 6:40am, a Bikalpa Paribahan bus was set on fire at Fulkoli intersection in Mirpur-12. The flames spread to a nearby Abhijat Paribahan bus, damaging both vehicles. The estimated losses were Tk8 lakh to Tk10 lakh for the Bikalpa bus and Tk50,000 for the Abhijat bus. 

Local residents brought the fires under control. No arrests had been made in connection with the attacks.

Pallabi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jalal Uddin said police were working to identify and arrest those responsible.

In Khagrachhari, police arrested 11 leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations over an arson attack on the BNP office at Boropilak in Guimara upazila.

The office was set on fire around 3:30am on Monday. A Chander Gari was also torched on Pankhaiyapara Road in the district town early Tuesday. Trees were felled at two locations on the Khagrachhari-Dighinala and Khagrachhari-Matiranga roads, disrupting traffic.

The 11 arrested people were sent to jail through court on Wednesday. Guimara Police Station OC Sohrawardi said six people were initially detained, followed by five others. Khagrachhari Sadar Model Police Station OC Md Kay Kishu said police operations were continuing.

In Chapainawabganj, a crude bomb explosion at Nayan Bazar in Monakasha union of Shibganj injured pedestrian Buddhu Mia around 7pm on Tuesday. He was taken to Shibganj Upazila Health Complex.

Shibganj Police Station OC Matiur Rahman said police visited the scene after receiving reports of a procession and the explosion but found no one there. He said the situation was normal.

An arson attack was also reported at the Daulatpur upazila BNP office in Manikganj on Tuesday night. A plastic chair and part of a wooden structure were damaged. BNP leaders discovered the damage on Wednesday morning and informed police.

Daulatpur Police Station OC Swapan Kumar Sarkar said police had visited the scene and were investigating.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested 466 people during operations across the capital over the past 24 hours. Police filed 64 cases during the period, according to a DMP press release issued on Wednesday.