Seven Burned to Death in Bangladesh Bus Arson

Seven people reportedly were killed and 16 sustained injuries in an arson attack on a night bus.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Seven people were killed and 16 sustained injuries in an arson attack on a night bus in the city of Comilla in eastern Bangladesh, the Dhaka Tribune reported Tuesday.

“Miscreants hurled petrol bombs at a Dhaka-bound night coach of Icon Paribahan from Cox’s Bazar on Dhaka-Chittagong highway around 3:30 am, leaving seven passengers dead on the spot and 16 others injured,” Monir Hossain, assistant director of the city’s fire service was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

The injured passengers were rushed to local hospitals, Hossain added. Most of the bus passengers were reportedly asleep when the attack took place.

Major anti-government protests have swept over Bangladesh over the past month after the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was denied to hold a rally.

BNP leader Khaleda Zia urged her supporters to carry out a transport blockade after several protesters were allegedly killed in clashes with police. Numerous vehicles have been set on fire during the month-long blockade.