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Bangladesh petrol bomb attack leaves seven dead | Bangladesh petrol bomb attack leaves seven dead |
(35 minutes later) | |
At least seven people have been burned to death and 15 others injured, some seriously, in a petrol bomb attack on a bus in eastern Bangladesh. | At least seven people have been burned to death and 15 others injured, some seriously, in a petrol bomb attack on a bus in eastern Bangladesh. |
Police said the bus had been full of sleeping passengers when it was attacked near the town of Chauddagram. | Police said the bus had been full of sleeping passengers when it was attacked near the town of Chauddagram. |
It is the latest in a spate of attacks on buses, lorries and cars since anti-government protests began last month. | It is the latest in a spate of attacks on buses, lorries and cars since anti-government protests began last month. |
Opposition leader Khaleda Zia called for the protests on the anniversary of last year's disputed election. | Opposition leader Khaleda Zia called for the protests on the anniversary of last year's disputed election. |
However, she has denied that her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Islamist allies are behind the firebombings. | However, she has denied that her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Islamist allies are behind the firebombings. |
BBC Bangla's Sayala Roksana in Dhaka says at least 50 people have been killed and 1,000 injured in violence since 5 January. More than 7,000 opposition activists have been arrested. | |
Farukh Hossain, one of the survivors, told the BBC that most passengers were asleep when the bomb was thrown. | |
Police officials said authorities had raided nearby villages but no arrests had been made. | |
"Seven passengers were burnt to death in the bus after the petrol bomb was thrown at 04:00 [20:00 GMT Monday]," district police chief Tuttul Chakrabarty told AFP news agency. | "Seven passengers were burnt to death in the bus after the petrol bomb was thrown at 04:00 [20:00 GMT Monday]," district police chief Tuttul Chakrabarty told AFP news agency. |
"Five of the passengers are fighting for their life. They have been shifted to a hospital in the capital." | "Five of the passengers are fighting for their life. They have been shifted to a hospital in the capital." |
Last month, Ms Zia urged her supporters to enforce a nationwide blockade of roads, railways and waterways to try to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to call fresh elections. | Last month, Ms Zia urged her supporters to enforce a nationwide blockade of roads, railways and waterways to try to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to call fresh elections. |
Ms Hasina has denounced the opposition as militants and accused activists of engaging in terrorism rather than politics. | Ms Hasina has denounced the opposition as militants and accused activists of engaging in terrorism rather than politics. |
Ms Zia was put under house arrest at the start of the protests, but has since been released. | Ms Zia was put under house arrest at the start of the protests, but has since been released. |
The BNP and other opposition parties boycotted last year's election, saying it would be rigged. | The BNP and other opposition parties boycotted last year's election, saying it would be rigged. |
They were angry that Sheikh Hasina, who has been in power since 2009, refused to stand aside to make way for a neutral caretaker administration to oversee the vote. | They were angry that Sheikh Hasina, who has been in power since 2009, refused to stand aside to make way for a neutral caretaker administration to oversee the vote. |