DHAKA: Fighting a losing battle for life since he suffered fatal burn injuries when a car was torched on the night before the June 27 hartal, Faruque Hossain died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital early Thursday.

His friend Sumon, 26, who also received burns in the car fire, is still in critical condition, doctors said.  

Faruque, 30, son of Mohammad Maqbul Hossain of Gendaria under Sutrapur police station in the capital, had suffered from the agony of burns on 75 percent of his body.

Earlier on June 30, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited him at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital—the place already crammed with burn patients from the infernal Nimtoli blaze. She had assured him of providing all sorts of treatment needed.

Faruque and his friend Sumon suffered fire wounds in an arson attack at about 7pm on the day near Magbazaar level crossing. Hartal pickets were blamed for setting fire to the car.

Local people had rushed the two to Dhaka Medical Collage Hospital after the incident. Doctors had told banglanews24.com.bd before that Faruque was in critical condition with 75 percent of his body burnt.

A case was filed against Jamaat Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami, secretary-general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid and Nayab-e-Ameer Delawar Hossain Sayedee with Ramna police station in this connection.

Police took the three top leaders of Jamaat on four days’ remand Wednesday in the case, a day after their arrest in a different case of allegedly hurting Muslims’ religious sentiment. They are on a total of 16 days’ remand in five cases.    
OC of Ramna police station Shiblee Noman told banglanews24.com.bd, “The case is now being changed into a murder case, as Faruque died.”

BDST: 13:00 HRS, JULY 1, 2010.