Bus Driver Killed in Faridpur as Arson Wave and Crude Bombs Hit Bangladesh

A bus driver was killed in Faridpur after attackers set fire to a parked bus while he was sleeping inside. The death came during a wave of arson attacks and crude bomb explosions reported across Bangladesh during a nationwide blockade called by the banned Chhatra League.

Md Kalachan Sheikh, 60, died from smoke inhalation before he could be rescued, Faridpur Kotwali Police Station Officer in Charge Mahmudul Hasan told The Daily Star. The bus had been parked in Faridpur when miscreants set it on fire with the driver asleep inside.

Attacks reported across the country

A Bangladesh Nationalist Party ward office was torched in Guimara upazila, Khagrachhari, around 3:30 am on Monday, November 9, destroying the building. In its overnight count, The Daily Star reported that at least four buses were torched across the country, and that police arrested 11 people and detained six others during overnight security operations.

In Gopalganj, crude bomb explosions were reported outside several government establishments, including the Government Zilla School, the Government Women's College, the District Shilpakala Academy and the Regional Passport Office. Police recovered 15 crude bombs and seized seven motorcycles in the district.

A petrol bomb was thrown at a double decker bus carrying around 35 students of the Islamic University in Jhenaidah. In Dhaka, two bombs exploded in front of Tokyo Square in the Mohammadpur area around 9:15 pm on Monday, November 9.

Dhaka steps up security

The Business Standard reported more than 50 crude bomb explosions and at least eight bus fires in different parts of Dhaka over a few days. The locations included Dhaka University, police facilities, court premises, educational institutions and major roads. The two counts cover different periods and areas, and each total is reported here under the outlet that published it.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Media) Mohammad Akter Hossain told The Business Standard that vehicles had been set on fire and crude bombs exploded at several locations in the capital to create panic among the public.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police set up 160 new checkpoints at key locations across the capital and deployed additional police forces.

Blockade and a lockdown call

The violence came during a nationwide blockade called by the banned Chhatra League, according to The Daily Star reporting carried by DevDiscourse. The Business Standard reported that the banned Awami League has announced a lockdown in Dhaka for November 13.