DHAKA: Four people, including a child, were killed and 25 others sustained burn injuries when alleged blockaders hurled petrol bombs on a passenger bus in Batason area under Mithapukur Upazila of the district Tuesday late night.

Police detained eight suspects, the activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student’s wing Islami Chhattra Shibir, following the incident.

Two of them were directly involved in the attack, police claimed.
 
However, identities of the deceased and the injured people could not be known.

District Superintendent of Police (SP) Abdur Razzak confirmed the matter to banglanews.

He said a bus was going to Dhaka under police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) escort. Upon arrival in the area, the bus stopped there to take passengers. All of a sudden, Jamaat-Shibir men threw several petrol bombs, causing a fire on the entire bus.

The fire killed four people including a child and injured 25 others.

The injured were admitted to the burn unit of Rangpur Medical College Hospital. Of them, seven are in critical condition.

Burn unit doctor Abdur Razzak told banglanews that most of he injured received 60 percent burn injuries on their bodies and two of them sustained critical injuries to their respiratory organs.

Meanwhile, law enforcing agencies launched manhunt across the district to nab the attackers.

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police are conducting drives since morning, said the SP.

Mithapukur Thana Officer-In-Charge (OC) Rabiul Islam told banglanews that police security has been tightened across the upazila to avoid further subversive activity.

Vehicular movement, however, is continued on roads of the area.

Moreover, police sent the bodies to RMCH morgue for autopsy, the OC added.

BDST: 1210 HRS, JAN 14, 2015