Yet another blockade victim succumbed to burn injuries at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) yesterday, taking the death toll to 74.
Md Hossain, 50, who was burnt on February 15, died at 10am, said Dr Samanta Lal Sen, adviser to the DMCH burn unit.
The deceased, who was a day labourer, received burn injuries in Lalpool, beside the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.
An additional six people were burnt in fresh attacks yesterday, which is the 45th day of the indefinite blockade imposed by the BNP and the fifth day of the party’s third spell of the nationwide general strike.
Uzzal Hossain, 32, a truck driver, and his helper Mamun Mia, 22, received burn injuries after a petrol bomb was hurled at their truck in Bhuapur of Tangail at around 1am.
They were attacked at Sar Palsia while heading towards Tangail Sadar, reports our Tangail correspondent.
“Both men sustained 50% burn injuries and were taken to Tangail Medical College Hospital. They were later referred to the DMCH,” said Md Akheruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Bangabandhu Bridge (east) police station.
Four bus passengers were burnt and another four were injured after a petrol bomb was thrown at the vehicle at Pologround in Chittagong a little after midnight on Wednesday, reports our Chittagong correspondent.
Subhash Shome, 65, Saber Ahmed, 25, Nur Mohammad, 30, and Md Nasir, 40, received burn injuries and were admitted to the burn unit of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).
Subhash was later shifted to DMCH as his condition deteriorated, police said.
Dr Mrinal Kanti Das, head of the CMCH burn unit, told the Dhaka Tribune Subhash had sustained 30% burn injuries.
The other four – Rupam Debnath, 25, Md Arif, 30, Md Sohel, 25, and Md Mozammel Haque, 26 – were given first aid, said Nayek Hamidur Rahman of the CMCH police outpost.
Hamid said the bus was travelling to Chittagong New Market when the attack took place. “The driver lost control after the attack and the vehicle ploughed into the central reservation,” he added.
Sub-Inspector Utpal Barua, second officer of Kotwali police station, said a case was lodged against 51 BNP and Jamaat members, including BNP’s Chittagong city unit General Secretary Dr Shahdat Hossain, in connection with the arson attack.
Ten Chhatra Shibir activists were detained from Kotwali for their suspected involvement in the attack, he added.
A BNP office was set on fire on KP Bashu Road in Jhenaidah around 12:30pm.
Some youth arrived on an easy bike and set fire to the office before fleeing quickly.
Firefighters reached the scene shortly and doused the flame.
Jhenaidah Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Shahabuddin Azad said none were injured in the attack, and police were trying to catch the attackers.
In Gaibandha’s Palashbari upazila, a fertiliser-laden truck was torched around 11am, but no one was injured.
Meanwhile, in the capital, a person was killed and another one injured when a bomb they were allegedly making went off in Hazaribagh in the evening, said Sub-Inspector of Hazaribagh police station Mizanur Rahman.
In Motijheel, a mob beat up a youth, Sayem, who was about to explode a crude bomb near Shapla Chattar around 1pm.
Police later detained him and sent him to the DMCH.
Furthermore, police detained 30 activists of the BNP and its allies, including six Mahila Dal activists, who tried to supply food to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s office, in Dhaka in the last 24 hours, Dhaka Metropolitan Police media wing sources said.
They were later taken to Gulshan police station.