At least seven passengers, including two women, were charred to death on Tuesday when suspected Opposition activists hurled petrol bombs on a packed bus in eastern Bangladesh, the worst attack during the current spate of political unrest that has claimed 54 lives in the country. Police said suspected activists of former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) hurled petrol bombs on the bus at around 3:30 am as it was heading towards the capital from southeastern sea resort town of Cox’s Bazar.
“The bus came under attack at Chouddogram area (on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway) and we sent the seriously injured passengers to the DMCH (Dhaka Medical College Hospital) burn unit and others to (nearby) Comilla Medial College Hospital,” an official of highway police told newsmen. Seven people, including two women, were killed and at least 16 others injured in the attack, police said. Doctors at the facility here said the toll could rise as burn injuries of some of the wounded passengers appeared beyond treatment while three of them sustained “70 per cent burns”.