Firefighters inspect a bus set on fire by protesters in Dhaka yesterday.
DHAKA: At least 18 people suffered burns after a suspected Bangladesh opposition supporter hurled a petrol bomb into a crowded bus yesterday, amid escalating protests against elections scheduled for January.
Passengers jumped from the windows, some in flames, as the bus veered off the road and crashed into an electric poll in capital Dhaka, police said.
“I carried four passengers in my rickshaw. Their clothes, skin and parts of their heads were in flames,” rickshaw driver Fara Ali said.
Assistant police commissioner Shibly Noman said at least 17 passengers and the bus driver were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
“We haven’t arrested anyone. But we suspect this is an act by opposition supporters,” he said.
Passenger Sushmita Sen burnt her hands. “I saw a flame in the bus and I passed out. I woke up to find myself and my mother in hospital beds.”
Samanto Lal Sen, head of the hospital’s burn unit, said the ward was overwhelmed with victims. “At least 10 passengers have 40 percent of their bodies burnt. Their conditions are critical.”
The passengers were the latest victims of deadly protests over the government’s plans to hold a general election on January 5.
At least 15 people have been killed and hundreds injured since Monday night, after an 18-party opposition alliance led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) called a nationwide blockade of roads, rail and waterways to protest against the election date.
The BNP has demanded a suspension of the poll, the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and elections under a neutral caretaker government — demands that Hasina has rejected.
A UN envoy will visit Bangladesh for talks with political parties about ending the standoff.
UN Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco will arrive on December 6 to hold discussions on “election preparations,” Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque said. He did give details of the four-day visit.
AFP
