Nine buses torched in city after student run over

Angry mob torched nine buses after a SSC examinee was ran over by a bus of Anabil Paribahan in the capital’s Rampura area on Monday night.

The deceased was identified as Mainuddin Islam Durjoy, 16, a resident of East Rampura. He was a SSC candidate of Rampura Ekramunnesa High School in Dhaka this year.

Rampura Police officer-in-charge (OC) Rafiqul Islam said a bus of Anabil Paribahan hit the student nearby Rampura Bazar after 11.00pm, leaving him dead on the spot.

“Angry mob blocked the road and set the bus on fire soon after the accident. We are trying to bring the situation under control. The fire service is working to control the fire.”

According to eyewitnesses, the agitated mob first vandalized the bus and set it on fire after the death of the student.  They detained a person from the bus and handed over to police when he tried to flee from the bus. After that eight more buses were set on fire one by one in front of the agitated crowd on DIT road of the area.

When the news of student’s death spread it was seen that angry people gathered at the scene, blocked the road and chanted slogans demanding legal action against the driver, including safe roads. The traffic in the surrounding area, including DIT road were stopped since the incident.

A group of locals said the accident took place when two buses collided on empty road at night. However, some people said that bus helper pushed the student out of bus after a dispute over fare and then another bus on the road ran over him. However, the authenticity of these two incidents could not be confirmed. However, after the incident, Rampura police confirmed the identity of the slain student.

Ziaur Rahman, operator of Fire Service control room headquarters, said that at least seven buses were torched after in the incident.

“Firstly, two units of Fire service and then another unit reached the spot and brought the fire under control after receiving a call from 999.”