Buses near Khaleda’s motorcade comes under attack

Two passenger buses near Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s motorcade were set afire Tuesday afternoon.

The incident took place in Feni’s Mohipal area while she was returning to Dhaka after her visit to persecuted Rohingya people in Cox’s Bazar, reports Ekattor TV.

Cocktail and petrol bomb was thrown targeting her convoy, said journalists following Khaleda’s motorcade.

Witnesses said the motorcade of Khaleda was passing Nazir Ahmed Filling Station around 4:25 pm when some unidentified miscreants launched arson attacks on the two buses on the opposite side of the road.

However, no harm was reported to the BNP chairperson's convoy.

Superintend of Police (SP) of Feni Jahangir Alam Sarker said they detained six people, including former Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leader Nur-e-Salam Milon and five drivers and helpers of the two torched buses, says a report on UNB.

The two buses -- one of 'Jamuna Service' and the other of 'Chuoddagram Transport' -- were parked on the wrong side of the highway near 'Mahipal Petrol Pump', he said.

Usually, 'Jamuna Service' buses are parked near the Circuit House crossing, the SP said, adding that Sramik Dal leader Milon alias Hathu Milon owns the buses.

"As the two buses were parked on the wrong side illegally, we arrested their drivers and helpers to be sure whether they have any involvement with the incident," he said.

BNP in their Facebook page blamed Awami League activists for the attack.

Local leaders of BNP also accused the ruling party men of carrying out the incident with an ulterior motive.

"We strongly condemn it."

They demanded the government immediately identify and arrest those involved in the incident.

Secretary General of the party Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has condemned the attack targeting, what he said, his party chief’s motorcade.

Local leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies staged a demonstration at Mohipal protesting the incident.

BNP’s student body Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) called a nationwide demonstration in protest against the attack.

Khaleda reached her Gulshan residence in Dhaka around 8:50 pm. 

Earlier, Khaleda Zia's motorcade had come under attack while heading towards Cox's Bazar near Feni district town on Saturday afternoon.