November 16, 2023
DHAKA – Vehicles were vandalised and set on fire by unidentified criminals in Chattogram, Gazipur, Chandpur, Dhaka, Bogura, Sylhet and Noakhali tonight, following the polls schedule announcement.
In Chattogram, miscreants set a passenger bus on fire in Wasa area tonight.
However, witnesses said two buses were torched but police confirmed the information of one bus when The Daily Star contacted them.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Noble Chakma of CMP South Zone told our Chattogram staff correspondent, “Miscreants torched a parked passenger bus under Akhtaruzzaman Flyover in Wasa area around 10:35pm and fled the scene.”
“The police and firefighters are on the spot,” he said.
In Gazipur, a bus was torched on Dhaka Mymensingh highway in Sreepur’s Jaina Bazar at around 10:00pm.
However, locals extinguished the blaze before fire service reached the spot, reports our Gazipur correspondent.
In Chandpur, at least 20 vehicles were vandalised.
The incident occurred on the Chandpur-Cumilla regional highway in Ghosherhat and Palli Bidyut areas, reports a correspondent from Chandpur.
At least 15 drivers and passengers were injured in the incidents.
Their identities could not be known immediately, according to police and locals.
Mohammad Saiful Islam, superintendent of police in Chandpur, said, “We heard that miscreants attacked and vandalised vehicles. Additional police and BGB have been deployed to bring the situation under control.”
However, no arrests have been made yet, he said.
Police have beefed up security in various parts of the town, the SP added.
In Dhaka, a truck was torched in Dohar Bazar area around 10:00pm.
Two fire engines of Dohar Fire Station were working to douse the blaze, said Talha Bin Zasim, an official of Fire Service Media Cell.
In Bogura, a covered van was set alight around 8:55 in front of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) office on Dhaka-Rangpur highway.
Police went to the spot after getting information. With the help of locals, the fire was brought under control. Later, a fire engine doused the fire completely, reports our Bogura correspondent quoting Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Shahjahanpur Police Station.
In Sylhet, a Leguna was set on fire around 8:43pm in Shah Poran’s Daspara area.
Two fire engines were working to douse the blaze.
In Noakhali, BNP men attacked and vandalised at least 10 covered vans and CNG-run auto-rickshaws in different places in the district town tonight, reports our Noakhali correspondent quoting Mir Jahedul Haque Rony, officer-in-charge of Sudharam Model Police Station.
Najmul Hasan Rajib, additional police superintendent of Noakhali, said BNP-Jamaat men blocked the Chowmuhani-Feni regional highway by setting tyres on fire at Samirmunshirhat in Senbagh upazila.