Staff Reporter :At least 12 people, including women and children, were killed and 50 others injured in separate petrol bomb attacks in Comilla, Barisal and other parts of the country on Tuesday, last day of 72-hour nationwide hartal and indefinite blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance. Of the dead, seven passengers, including a school going child, of the Dhaka bound night coach from Cox’s Bazar were burnt alive while asleep and 18 other injured alone at Chouddagram upazila in Comilla when the pro-hartal and blockade supporters hurled deadly petrol bombs to the coach. The death toll in Comilla stands the highest in a single terror attack while the second highest death count was six in Rangpur on January 14.With the fresh death of 12 more people, the death toll in the last 30 days violence and arson attacks rose to 58. Of them, 33 met the tragic end of their lives either arson or petrol bomb attacks while 25 other were killed in clashes with the members of law enforcing agencies. The passengers who met the tragic end of their lives were identified as Nuruzzaman Paplu and his school going daughter Maisha of Jessore sadar, Abu Taher and Abu Yusuf of Chakria in Cox’s Bazar district, Asma and her son Shanto of Palash Upazila in Narsigndi district and Washim of Capital Dhaka.Quoting witnesses, Uttam Kumar Chakraborty, Officer-in-Chare (OC) of Chouddagram Police Station told The New Nation that when the Dhaka-bound night coach of Icon Transport was passing by the Jogmohanpur area, the hartal and blockade supporters launched petrol bomb attack at about 3.30am. “The coach caught fire soon after the attack. The fire and smoke engulfed the whole passengers, most of them sleeping. The seven deceased were sent to Comilla Medical College and Hospital morgue for autopsy,” the OC said. He added of the injured, eight were released after first aid from Chouddagram Upazila Health Complex and Comilla Medical College and Hospital (CMCH). “The nine other passengers injured critically were rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH),” the OC said.The injured victims were referred to the burn unit of DMCH. Six of the victims were taken at the burn unit, said Dr Samanta Lal Sen, Project Director of Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit of DMCH. “Two are in critical condition.” The critically burned victims are Rashedul, 25, with 40 per cent burns and Shahidul, 18, with 28 per cent burns, the burn unit official said in a press briefing at DMCH.The others burn victims are Hanif, 35, Faruq, 23, Shafiqul, 22, Zilkad and Arif, 20. In Barisal, a driver and his helper of goods-laden truck were killed in a petrol bomb attack at Sundardi in Gaurnadi upazila early Tuesday.The deceased were identified as driver Nur Hossain Shikder, 32, and helper Zafar Rari, 26, hailing from Baharampur village in Dashmina upazila of Patuakhali district, said our local correspondent.In Laxmipur, Kamal Hossain, a pickup van driver, who received serious burn injuries in a petrol bomb attack near the jail here on Monday night, died on way to Dhaka,In Jessore, two hartal and blockade supporters were crushed under the wheel of a truck while they allegedly tried to launch petrol bomb on the goods-laden truck at Begaritala on Jessore-Moniramur road.The deceased were identified as Liton, and Yusuf, both hailing from Monirumpur. As reported, the blockade supporters launched petrol bomb and arson attack on around 900 vehicles in the last 30 days. They also vandalised scores of transports during the blockade.
