Shawdesh desk:

A total of 15 fire incidents were reported since 6:00pm on Friday ahead of the 48-hour hartal enforced by Bangladesh Nationalist Party and some other opposition parties to press their demand for boycotting the January 7 election.

Seven vehicles and nine establishments were damaged in the arson attacks, said a statement of Fire Service and Civil Defence on Saturday morning.

According to a report of UNB, Unruly people allegedly set fire to a pickup van in Fatullah of Narayanganj on Friday evening.

The arson was perpetrated on the Old Dhaka-Narayanganj Road in front of the Forest Department, adjacent to Panchabati in Fatullah.

Local people said that the miscreants set fire to the pickup van in the evening when the district unit activists of Awami League’s former organising secretary Mir Sohel Ali were going to the city.

Fatullah Model Police Station officer-in-charge Noor-e-Azam Mia said that on information a police team rushed to the spot and tried to identify the arsonist, after the fire was brought under control.

At least four people were killed and several injured as a moving train was set on fire at Gopibagh in Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Friday evening.

Unidentified arsonists set fire to the Benapole Express train at about 9:00pm and four compartments of the train were burnt, said Fire Service media cell official Talha Bin Zasim.

Another UNB reports said that unruly people set fire to Dhalaipar Government Primary School, a polling center at village Chandona of Chunarughat upazila in Habiganj on early Saturday.

Md Manikuzzaman, in-charge of Chunarughat Fire Station, said that miscreants set the school on fire at about 12:00am, which was likely to be used as a polling station in the upazila under Habiganj-4 constituency.

On information, a firefighting unit rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze.

Hillol Roy, officer-in-charge of Chunarughat Police Station, said that police were trying to identify the arsonists.

Unidentified miscreants set fire to two schools in Gazipur city on   early Saturday.

Police and local people said that one of the schools was set to be used as a polling centre in the national election slated for Sunday.

Abdullah Al Arefin, deputy assistant director of Gazipur Fire Service and Civil Defence, said that miscreants set fire to TNT Ideal High School at Telipara at about 2:45am.

A group of miscreants set fire to a polling centre, East Chandana Government Primary School in Bason area of the city, at about 1:30am.

In Chattogram, unidentified arsonists set fire to a pick-up van at on Dhaka-Chittgagong highway at Dhalipara in Sitakunda upazila on early Saturday.

Abdul Hakim, officer-in-charge of Kumira Highway Police, said 8 to 10 attackers forced the pick-up van driver to halt it at about 5:30am. Later they set it on fire by hurling crude bomb and fled the scene.

In Sylhet, arsonists set a truck on fire on Sylhet-Dhaka highway at Lalabazar in Dakkhin Surma upazila on early Saturday.

Miscreants set the truck on fire beside Lalabazar Armed Police Battalion office at about 1:45am, said Md Jabed, duty officer of Dakkhin Surma Police Station.

Miscreants set fire to a cement-laden truck in the Nalka Overbridge area of Salanga in Sirajganj on early Saturday.

Salanga Police Station officer-in-charge Anamul Haque confirmed the matter.

The incident occurred when the truck, en route from Narayanganj to Bogura with cement, experienced engine trouble on the western side of the Nalka Overbridge at about 1:30am on Saturday.

The driver had stopped the truck to address the engine issues, said the OC.

At that moment, around five to six masked people approached the truck and set fire to the vehicle, forcing the driver his assistant to flee for their lives.

Police went to the sport and took the truck for further investigation. The police were working to apprehend those responsible for the incident, said the OC.

Unidentified arsonists set fire to two cavard vans near Latumiah Bridge at Lalpur of Feni Sadar upazila at about 2:45 am.

Unidentified arsonists set fire to a Buddhist Temple at Ramu in Chattogram at about 2:50am.

A primary school in Gafargaon was set on fire by unidentified arsonists at about 4:30am.

Unidentified people set fire to a primary school at Nishchintapara in Chattogram city at about 5:00am.

A primary school at Bajitkhila of Sherpur in Mymensingh was set of fire by unidentified arsonists at about 6:30am.

A primary school at Mouchak of Kaliakoir upazila was set on fire by unidentified arsonists at about 8:00am.

Haripur Primary School at Nandail in Mymensing was set on fire by unidentified miscreants at about 9:15am.