Arsonists in Rajshahi are resorting to new tactics of violence by launching attacks during the darkness of the night.
Due to the active presence of law enforcers during the day, miscreants have been setting buses and trucks on fire at night creating panic among the passengers.
According to the Rajshahi Police Commissioner Muhammad Shamsuddin, pro-blockade activists had set fire to a number of vehicles and injured several people in the last few days.
“Though no major incidents are happening during the day, the arson attacks have increased at night. This is mostly to create panic among the people,” the commissioner said.
“We are trying our best to resist the arson attacks. But it is quite impossible to patrol the entire highway with a limited number of manpower,” he added.
Shamsuddin further said despite being vigilant, police could not always nab the arsonists as they come out after sunset and change their positions randomly.
On Sunday night, the pro-blockade activists hurled a petrol bomb at an empty truck leaving the driver and helper injured.
They were identified as driver Shasti Chandra Das, 45 of Puthia Sadar and helper Shahabur Rahman, 33, of Kanaipara of the upazila.
They were taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) for treatment.
The truck came under attack at around 9pm at Hemeto intersection of Charghat Upazila, said Khandakar Golam Mortuza, officer-in-charge of the Charghat police station.
Earlier on Thursday, another truck was vandalised and torched in the Rajshahi city. No one was injured in the incident.
Again on Friday night, nine people, including women and a child, sustained burn injuries when fire bombs were thrown at a bus in front of Brac office in Rajshahi’s Tanore upazila.
The injured are now undergoing treatment at RMCH.
Rajshahi Metropolitan Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Ifte Khayer Alam said: “Arsonists hurled petrol bombs at the passenger buses mostly in the darkness of the night to create panic among the passengers who dare to travel at night.”
“The remote areas of Rajshahi such as Charghat, Toba, Tanor, and Banesshwar union are vulnerable to arson attacks as there is lack of police vigilance,” he added.
The number of passenger are declining because of frequent arson attacks at night, said Manjur Rahman Pitar, general secretary of Rajshahi Highway Transport Association.
“The relative calmness of the day encourages passengers to travel but the violence unleashed at night is putting their lives at risk,” he said.
Though a good number of buses and trucks ply during the day, the number comes down significantly at night.
Atik Khan, a wholesale trader of electronics in Rajshahi city told the Dhaka Tribune that he had been incurring losses as he could not travel.
He also admitted that it was not possible for law enforcers to ensure security all the time.
“The only solution is to put an end to the blockade and resolve the political crisis,” Atik Khan said.