Shawdesh Desk:

A total of nine buses were torched in Dhaka and elsewhere in Bangladesh in 10 hours ending 6:00am on Sunday, according to Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters.

Of the torching incidents, seven were reported in Dhaka and one each was reported from Gazipur and Barishal districts and the fire service officials said that the incidents were committed by unidentified people.

A passenger was burnt in one of the torching incidents in Dhaka and he is now undergoing treatment, officials at Dhaka Medical College Hospital said.

The incidents of torching are being reported ahead of and during the street agitation programmes called by the opposition political parties while activists of the ruling parties remain vigil on the streets. A 48-hour countrywide blockade programme called by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies to press home their demand for the next general election under a neutral government has begun at 6:00am on Sunday.

The ruling Awami League leaders, in their speeches, blamed the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat for the torching incidents while the BNP leaders, in their speeches in virtual press conferences and statements, blamed the ruling AL for setting fire to the vehicles.

According to the Fire Service and Civil Defence media cell, the torched vehicles include eight buses and one pick-up van.

In Dhaka, the media cell said, the incidents of torching happened at Arambagh, Gabtali, Gulistan, Jatrabari and Kafrul Saturday night and at Rupnagar and Sutrapur early Saturday.

According to the media cell, a pick-up van was set on fire at Jugitala in Gazipur minutes after 9:30pm on Saturday and a bus of Ma Enterprise was set on fire in front of the divisional police office in Barisal at about 3:35am.

DMCH police outpost in-charge Bachchu Mia said that a passenger, Md Jabbar Mia, 45, received burn injuries when unidentified people set fire to a bus of Anabil Paribahan at Jatrabari at about 9:30pm.

Jabber, a ruckshaw pullar by profession, is now undergoing treatment at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery with burns on 20 per cent of his body, said Dr Tariqul Islam, a resident medical officer at the Institute.