The motorcade of Khaleda Zia was attacked in Feni for a second time in three days on Tuesday, as the BNP Chairperson returned from visiting the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.
Although the opposition leader’s vehicle convoy was able to pass through unscathed, two buses were torched in the incident, which occurred at around 5pm.
BNP’s Press Wing official Shamsuddin Didar, who was in the motorcade, told the Dhaka Tribune that they did not know who was involved in the attack, which took place near a CNG filling station in Mohipal.
“Somebody hurled something from the other side of the road targeting our convoy, but missed by several yards. Then we saw the buses on fire instead,” he said.
One of the bus drivers claimed that miscreants had hurled petrol bombs at his vehicle, causing it to ignite “instantaneously”.
Witnesses said that minutes after Khaleda’s motorcade had passed Mohipal, flames followed by several explosions engulfed the buses parked beside Hazi Nazir Ahmed CNG Filling Station.
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Feni police said they were investigating the arson attack but were yet to find out who carried it out.
Later in the day, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student wing of BNP, announced nationwide demonstrations for Wednesday in protest at the attack, which they said had targeted the BNP chairperson and her convoy.
On Monday, Khaleda Zia visited Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar and distributed relief among the refugees who have entered Bangladesh since violence erupted in Myanmar on August 25.
When at Balukhali Pan Bazar, the BNP chief inaugurated a medical team from the pro-BNP Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh (DAB), who would help provide treatment to the Rohingyas.
On Saturday, Khaleda’s motorcade was attacked in Feni when she was going to Chittagong. Three vehicles carrying journalists were also vandalised.