At least 14 people including five policemen were injured in two separate incidents in the capital’s Matsya Bhaban and Mohammadpur areas last evening.
Unidentified miscreants hurled petrol bombs at a bus carrying 40 policemen in Matsya Bhaban area, leaving five of them injured.
The policemen were heading towards Rajarbagh Police Lines after their duties at different intersections in the capital.
Witnesses said as soon as the bus reached the intersection, unidentified arsonists hurled a petrol bomb at the windshield of the bus and fled the scene immediately.
The petrol bomb broke the windshield and hit the driver, Constable Morshed, 42. As the driver caught fire, he lost control over the steering and the bus hit the central reservation before it went up in flame.
The pickets also hurled some crude bombs. Police on board the bus jumped off and at least 15 of them were injured.
Of the injured, burn victim Morshed and constables Shamim, Bodiar, Likhon and Sub-Inspector Azad were rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The rest were taken to the Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital.
Doctors said they had shifted Morshed to the burn unit’s ICU of the hospital. Besides, Shamim was shifted to the ICU of Square Hospitals Limited in the capital’s Panthapath as the DMCH ICU had no empty bed.
Shamim received severe head injuries and there were some splinters in his head. His condition was critical.
Around 10:30pm, RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed, and Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Asaduzzaman Mia visited the victims at the hospital.
The DMP commissioner said they would bring to books all those who had ordered the arsonists to kill people.
Moshiur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Ramna police station, said they had started conducting drives to nab the attackers.
Nine, including six of two families, burnt
At least nine, including six members of two families, received burn injuries as blockaders hurled two petrol bombs on a passenger bus of Brothers Paribahan of Gabtoli-Babubazar route at Mohammadpur at 9pm yesterday.
As the bus caught fire, frightened passengers got off the bus through the windows. In the fire, Abu Taher, 78, and his two sons Abu Baten, 25, and Sujon, 19, received burn injuries. Three others of another family – Noor Jahan, 32, her daughter Ritu, 14, and son Rifat, 2 - also sustained serious injuries.
The other injured were Billal, 25, Arman, 35, and Monowara, 35. All of them were rushed to the DMCH.
Partha Shankar Paul, resident physician of the hospital’s burn unit, said of the victims, Taher’s condition was critical as his respiratory system was almost damaged.
The condition of Billal, Noor Jahan and Arman was also critical.
Meanwhile, at Azimpur, in front of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, blockaders hurled crude bombs at a rickshaw injuring its driver Mosharraf Hossain, 38, and passenger Kin Chun, 27, around 7:30pm.
Two men on a motorbike hurled the bombs and fled, said Mosharraf. Both were taken to the DMCH.