A group of troublemakers set fire to a bus and two trucks carrying goods on the Dhaka–Tangail and Dhaka–Chattogram highways in the early hours of the day. Additionally, in Shariatpur, a police van was targeted, resulting in one officer sustaining injuries.
In Tangail, a bus operated by Bangla Star caught fire in Basail upazila while en route from Dhaka to Pabna. Witnesses and police sources reported that as the bus reached Baoikhola on the Dhaka–Tangail highway, individuals threw substances into the vehicle, causing it to ignite.
Upon receiving the alert, two units from the Tangail Fire Service quickly arrived at the scene and successfully controlled the fire. SM Humayun Karnayen, the Senior Station Officer of Tangail Fire Service and Civil Defence, confirmed that there were no injuries.
According to Basail Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge, Jalal Uddin, miscreants set fire to the rear of the bus and fled the scene following a road accident that slowed down traffic on the highway. Although passengers safely evacuated the bus, the vehicle was completely destroyed by the fire. Fire service personnel later arrived and extinguished the blaze without any reported casualties.
In Shariatpur, an officer was wounded during a disturbance as assailants carried out an arson attack and lobbed crude bombs near the Padma Bridge South Plaza in Zajira upazila early in the morning. OC Md Golam Rasul of Padma Bridge South Police Station stated that approximately 200 to 300 troublemakers gathered near the South Plaza around 6:10 am.
The attackers obstructed traffic by setting fire to the road and, upon police intervention, threw bombs at the police vehicle, causing damage and injuring an officer. The offenders then proceeded to Tostarkandi in Naodoba Union and set fire to a lorry transporting sugar, which was promptly extinguished by firefighters. Three suspects have been apprehended for questioning, and the injured officer suffered minor wounds.
A brief video shared on the Awami League’s official Facebook page depicted the procession, while another video featured former BCL central vice-president Fahad Hossain Tapu, alongside former Shariatpur district Chhatra League general secretary Siddiq Pahar and others leading the event.
Regarding the identity and motives of the attackers, the OC mentioned ongoing investigations to ascertain their affiliation and actions. Meanwhile, on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway in Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj, an unattended truck was set ablaze by unknown individuals near the Anarpura Bus Stand in front of Akij Paper Mills around 3:30 am.
Since the truck was loaded with paper cartons, the fire spread rapidly. Local residents initially tried to extinguish the flames but eventually sought assistance from the fire service. Station Officer Md Firoz Mia of Gazaria Fire Service mentioned that they received the distress call at 3:40 am and managed to control the fire within 10 minutes, fully extinguishing it after 45 minutes.
Fortunately, the truck’s driver and helper were able to escape unharmed as they were inside the vehicle sleeping at the time of the incident. Following the occurrence, Gazaria’s Bhoberchar Highway Police Camp has escalated patrols along the affected highway stretch.