4 buses set on fire in Gazipur, Ashulia overnight
One bus driver sustained minor injuries while escaping the fire.
Unidentified individuals set fire to four parked buses in separate incidents across Gazipur city's Basan and Kashimpur police station areas, as well as Sreepur upazila, and Ashulia late Tuesday night and early Wednesday.
According to police and Fire Service officials, the first incident occurred around 4:30am today (12 November) at Peyara Bagan area near Bhogra Bypass under Basan Police Station. Miscreants poured petrol on a VIP Paribahan bus parked by the Dhaka-Tangail highway and set it ablaze before fleeing the scene.
Local residents claimed that although a fire station is located nearby, firefighters did not respond immediately.
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However, Iqbal Hossain, inspector at the Modern Fire Station in Bhogra, denied the allegation.
"After receiving the fire report, we informed the police for safety reasons. Later, both police and fire service teams reached the spot and brought the fire under control," he said.
He added that no one was inside the bus at the time of the fire.
"It is believed the bus had been parked by the roadside overnight," he said.
In a second incident, miscreants torched another parked bus at Berai Der Chala area under Sreepur Police Station around 4:50am today. Firefighters from Sreepur Fire Station rushed to the spot and managed to douse the flames.
Mohammad Mamun, deputy assistant director of Gazipur Fire Service, said, "The bus's engine and seats were burned in the fire."
Earlier that night, another arson attack took place around 10:30pm near Chakrabarti area on the Kaliakoir-Nabinagar road under Kashimpur Police Station.
Witnesses said a passenger bus was parked in front of Jyoti Filling Station, where a mechanic was working underneath the vehicle. Suddenly, two men arrived on a motorcycle, poured petrol on the bus, set it on fire, and fled immediately.
Locals acted quickly to extinguish the flames, preventing major damage or casualties. However, the seats and some mechanical parts of the bus were partially burned.
Kashimpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Moniruzzaman said, "At night, miscreants came on a motorcycle and set the bus on fire before fleeing. Locals managed to control the fire, so no one was injured, though the bus was partially damaged."
He added that an investigation is underway and efforts to identify and apprehend those involved are continuing.
Meanwhile, in Ashulia, miscreants set fire to a parked bus belonging to Alif Paribahan around 4:30am near the Women and Children Hospital in the Sarkar Market area.
Upon receiving the news, a unit from the DEPZ Fire Service rushed to the spot and brought the flames under control.
The bus driver, Sattar, sustained minor injuries while escaping the fire.
"I was sleeping inside the bus when I suddenly saw flames. I jumped out through the window and hurt my leg while landing," Sattar told the media.
"After getting out, I saw four men on two motorcycles. They were wearing helmets. When nearby security guards tried to approach, the miscreants opened fire before fleeing the scene."
Confirming the incident, Pranab Chowdhury, senior station officer of the DEPZ Fire Service and Civil Defence, told The Business Standard, "Early in the morning, several people arrived on motorcycles and set the bus parked by the roadside on fire. We rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control. No casualties have been reported."
TBS could not reach Ashulia Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Abdul Hannan for comment.
