Four people, including a man and his mother, were burnt to death and 10 others suffered injuries in a petrol bomb attack on a bus by pickets in Mithapukur upazila early Wednesday during the 9th day of the countywide non-stop blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance. Three of the deceased were identified as Rahim Badsha, 45, his mother Rahima, 65, and Jesmine, 12, of Ulipur upazila in Kurigram district. Police said pickets hurled a petrol bomb at the Dhaka-bound bus coming from Ulipur of Kurigram district the city at Batason at 12:50am, leaving four passengers dead on the spot and 10 others injured. The injured passengers were first taken to Rangpur Medical College Hospital. Later, two of the injured were shifted to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for better treatment. Meanwhile, police arrested eight activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student body Islami Chhatra Shibir from different areas of the upazila for their alleged involvement in the bus attack, said Robiul Islam, officer-in-charge of Mithapukur Police Station. BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia called the countrywide indefinite blockade from December 6 (Tuesday) as the government did not allow her party and allies to hold protest rallies in the capital.–Rangpur, Jan 14 (UNB)
