446 accused in 13 cases filed over arson attacks, 29 arrested
The sudden fires on buses in several places across the capital on Thursday are identical to the arson incidents of 2014-15
Thirteen cases have been filed with seven police stations under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police over arson attacks on 10 buses in the capitalon Thursday.
Around 446 persons, including Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Ishraq Hossain, have been made accused in the cases. Most other accused are leaders and members of different wings of the BNP.
Walid Hossain, deputy commissioner of DMP's Media and Public Relation Department, confirmed the matter to The Business Standard.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
He said police have arrested 29 persons from Paltan, Motijheel, Shahbagh, Bhatara, Kalabagan and Bangshal areas in connection with the arson attack on the vehicles at different places in the capital on Thursday.
Among the arrestees, 26 have been put on remand.
Meanwhile, several teams of police are continuing drives to arrest the other fugitive accused, said Walid Hossain.
DMP Additional Commissioner and Chief of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit Monirul Islam said, "We have got the recording of a phone call between two persons who were talking over the arson attacks. We are trying to find out the identities of the callers."
The call record will serve as an important evidence to prove the arson cases, he said.
Monirul Islam further said, "The sudden fires on buses in several places across the capital on Thursday are identical to the arson incidents of 2014-15. The lawmen were also overwhelmed by the sudden arson attacks on so many buses."
According to Dhaka Metropolitan Police Central Crime Command and Control Unit, the first arson incident took place on the north side of BNP party officeat 12:05pm.
Another fire broke out in a parked government bus for staff under Tax Zone-15. Later, a staff bus of Agrani Bank was set on fire in front of Madhumita Cinema Hall around 1pm while Victor Classic Paribahan in front of Ramna Hotel at 1:25pm, Dewan Paribahan before Aziz Super Market at Shahbagh at 1:30pm, Rajnigandha Paribahan on the north side of Bangladesh Secretariat at 2:10pm. Later, another bus of Dishari Paribahan was set on fire at 2.25pm in Noyabzar area, Bangshal, while a bus of Jainpuri Paribahan came under arson attack in Parkling area of Paltan. A double-decker BRTC bus was attacked near Pubali Petrol Pump at 3pm and another bus Victor Classic Paribahan at the Coca-Cola intersection under Bhatara Police Station.
