1 killed in Mymensingh arson amid security concerns over AL 'lockdown'

A man was killed and two others were critically injured in an arson attack on a bus in Mymensingh today, amid growing political tension ahead of the banned Awami League's announced "Dhaka lockdown" programme on 13 November.

The spate of arson and crude bomb attacks over the last few days has raised concerns over public safety, despite what authorities describe as "heightened" security measures across the country.

Home Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury at the Secretariat said today, "The law enforcement agencies are strictly maintaining a strong position to prevent any kind of chaos in the country, and the situation will remain normal. There is no possibility of any untoward incidents. No criminals will be spared."

Describing the incidents as "sporadic," Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali said there is nothing to be worried about.

"Law enforcement agencies are alert and fully capable of preventing further sabotage," he said at a briefing today.

Fatality and multiple attacks

In Mymensingh, a man was burnt to death while two others, a woman and her son, were critically injured after unidentified individuals set fire to a parked bus in Fulbaria upazila early today, police said.

The deceased is believed to be the driver, Julhas, 35. The injured, Sharmin Sultana Rumki, and her son Shahid Islam Badsha, 20, were sent to Dhaka for advanced treatment.

The arson occurred at around 3:15am in the Bhalukjan area, when arsonists suddenly set fire to an Alam Asia bus that had been parked beside the road after dropping off passengers, said Additional Superintendent of Police Md Abdullah Al-Mamun.

He said the bus had stopped near a petrol pump to refuel when the assailants suddenly torched it and fled the scene.

At the time of the arson, passenger Badsha and his mother, residents of Chakradhakanai village in Fulbaria, were inside the bus waiting to go home. Both sustained severe burns.

Upon receiving the information, firefighters rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control. 

They later recovered the completely charred body of a man from inside the bus, initially believed to be the driver.

Meanwhile, a group of unidentified individuals set fire to a bus near Sutrapur Fire Station in Old Dhaka's Katherpul area this evening, police said.

The incident took place around 6pm when the bus of Malancha Paribahan was parked on the roadside. Fire service personnel quickly reached the spot and doused the flames.

Confirming the incident, Sutrapur police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Saiful Islam said, "A group of unidentified individuals set the bus on fire and fled the scene immediately. We are reviewing CCTV footage to identify those involved."

He added that as the fire service station was nearby, the blaze was brought under control promptly. "No casualties were reported in the incident."

Government and police response 

The home adviser at the Secretariat announced a temporary ban on roadside fuel sales, citing concerns that petrol sold from small shops was being misused for arson. Security has also been intensified around key installations, including metro rail stations, railway terminals, tribunals, and other key point installations (KPIs).

The DMP commissioner at the briefing said that from 1-11 November, there had been 17 crude bomb explosions across 15 locations in Dhaka, with nine vehicles torched in the past two days.

"So far, 17 cases have been filed and 50 people arrested in connection with these incidents," he said, adding that 552 leaders and activists of the banned Awami League had been detained since October for "flash processions and acts of violence."

Sajjat also provided a profile of the attacks: "They come on motorcycles, throw one or two crude bombs, and flee... In the past two days alone, nine vehicles were set on fire... The buses targeted were those parked on the roadside without guards, or those with very few passengers – three, four, or five – not the buses full of passengers."

The DMP commissioner advised transport owners and workers to keep their vehicles under guard, noting that most of the recent arson attacks targeted parked or nearly empty buses. "Fully loaded buses were not attacked," he added.

Institutions issue security alerts

Amid fears of targeted violence, several institutions have issued safety advisories.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) today issued a directive to all airports to observe special vigilance (or special alert) in the context of the ongoing violence and acts of sabotage across the country.

Group Captain Ragib Samad, executive director of Dhaka Airport, confirmed the matter to TBS.

BRAC, the country's largest NGO, asked its employees to exercise caution ahead of the 13 November "Dhaka lockdown."

In an internal circular on 10 November, Brigadier General (Retd) Rakib Uddin Ahmed, director of operations, urged staff to take necessary safety measures.

The University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) also suspended its shuttle bus service for students and employees following the attack on the Shanto-Mariam University bus.