8 schools, 6 vehicles torched in 16 hrs

Ahead of the 12th national polls, a total of 15 fire incidents have taken place across the country in the last 16 hours until 10:00am on Saturday, torching six vehicles, eight schools, and another establishment.

The Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters disclosed the information through a message on Saturday afternoon.

According to the Fire Service, miscreants set fire to a pickup van at Fatullah of Narayanganj at 6:18 pm on Friday. Later, the Dhaka-bound Benapole Express train was set ablaze in the capital's Gopibagh area at 9:05pm, resulting in four fatalities.

Meanwhile, miscreants set fire to two primary schools in separate incidents in Chunarughat of Habiganj and Chandana of Gazipur after 12:00 am on Saturday.

Later, the T&T Adarsha High School in Gazipur caught fire around 2:45 am.

In Sylhet, miscreants torched a truck in Satmail and two covered vans in Lalpur of Feni around 2:45 am.

The Fire Service also reported that an establishment was set afire in Ramu of Cox’s Bazar around 3:00 am. A primary school was burnt in Gafargaon of Mymensingh at around 4:30 am, and another in the Nischintapur area of Chattogram at around 5:00am.

In further incidents, miscreants set fire to a pickup van in Sitakunda around 6:00 am, a primary school in Sherpur around 6:30 am, another school in Kaliakoir of Gazipur at 8:00 am, and another one in Nandail of Mymensingh at 9:15 am.

The authorities have already completed necessary preparations to hold the 12th national election on 7 January, Sunday. Alongside the police and other law enforcement agencies, members of armed forces have been deployed across the country, to ensure a peaceful election.