Three youth riding on motorbike set fire to buses
Md Sanaullah is a bus driver. He is a victim of three buses which were torched in Matuail in the capital Dhaka on Saturday.
"Get down, hurry up or will pour (petrol) on you," Sanaullah quoted one of three youth who got up his bus and set it on fire and left immediately.
Speaking to newsmen, he said three youth came on riding a motorbike. They had petrol in a bottle and a matchbox. Following their threat, he jumped out of the bus.
"Get down, hurry up or will pour (petrol) on you," Sanaullah quoted one of three youth who got up his bus and set it on fire and left immediately.
Sanaullah also said there were policemen in the surrounding areas when the bus was set on fire. The youth left on the motorbike in two minutes after setting fire to the bus.
After a clash between police and BNP leaders-activists over their sits-in at the entry points of Dhaka on Saturday, a bus of Tisha Paribahan was set on fire, of which Sanaullah was the driver.
The incident took place at 1:40pm.
Sanaullah said after he jumped out of the bus, the youth poured petrol inside the bus and set the fire with a matchbox. Later, they moved towards Jatrabari. Later, people in the surrounding areas brought the fire under control.
Earlier, a clash between police and BNP leaders-activists broke out in front of Matuail Child and Maternity Health Institute in Jatrabari after 12:00pm. Chases and counter-chases continued till 1:30pm. At one stage, BNP leaders and activists entered a lane of the Child and Maternity Health Institute. Police, Ansar and RAB members stood in front of the institute.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, bus driver Sanaullah said during the incident he was trying to move the bus inside the Shanto Filling Station in front of the Child and Maternity Health Institute. When he was turning the bus, three youths arrived before him.
Witness Rakib Hasan, speaking to Prothom Alo, said, "Three youths set the bus on fire in front of us and fled."
Akbar Khan has a shop near the filling station. He said, "We saw three youths threaten the bus driver and forced him to get off the bus. They poured petrol and set the bus on fire. They fled in front of many people."
During the incident of chase and counter-chase between police and BNP leaders-activists in front of Child and Maternity Health Institute, two more buses were torched. Fire service workers arrived and brought the fire under control.