One of the three victims of the February 12 petrol bomb attack on a cargo truck in Narsingdi died yesterday after an eight-day battle with death at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The victim, Zahid Hossain, was undergoing treatment for his 40% burn injuries from the attack at the DMCH’s burn unit. He died around 10:45am, according to DMCH sources.
His body has been sent for a post-mortem, said Dr Partha Shankar Paul, resident surgeon at the burn unit.
With his death, the death toll due to the petrol bomb attack now stands at 40. Most of the victims in these attacks – since the BNP-led 20-party alliance enforced nationwide blockade on January 6 – were reportedly unaffiliated to any political party.
Sources said miscreants hurled crude firebombs at Zahid’s truck around 8:30pm on February 12 on Tongi-Narsingdi road near Bhatpara area in Narsingdi Sadar upazila, injuring Zahid and his helpers Selim Miah and Jewel Miah.
Locals rushed the victims to Narsingdi District Hospital, but the on-duty doctors there transferred them to the DMCH burn unit. Zahid was later shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to his critical condition.
Selim an Jewel are also under treatment at the burn unit, Dr Partha said.
Slack day for blockade yesterday
Except for a few scattered incidents around the country, the 46th day of the blockade was relaxed yesterday. Life in the capital went as usual, with the usual crowd on the roads, trains and launches.
Meanwhile, unknown miscreants set fire to a bus at Louhajang upazila in Munshiganj early yesterday, during the last hours of the 120-hour hartal by the 20-party alliance.
Eunus Ali, in-charge of Mawa police outpost, said a bus of Apon Paribahan parked at Mawa intersection was set on fire around 4am. The attackers fled the scene and police could not arrest anyone.
In Habiganj, miscreants tried to firebomb Kalni Express in Bahubal upazila around 10pm, but failed.
Police detained 31 alleged activists of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday on suspicion of carrying out subversive activities. Of them, 11 were BNP activists arrested in Dhaka, said sources at Dhaka Metropolitan Police. The rest of them were picked up in Chittagong.