12 BCL men injured as bus catches fire at Farmgate

At least 12 activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League were injured when a bus, hired by them from Uttara west intending to join BCL’s joy rally, caught fire near Farmgate area of Dhaka this morning.

The bus of Raida Paribahan, carrying around 40 activists caught fire in front of Al-Razi Hospital at Farmgate around 10:30am, Ataur Rahman, duty officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters told The Daily Star.

Although one fire fighting unit was dispatched, locals managed to douse the flames before they reached the spot, the official said.

It is being suspected that the fire might have started from gas balloons, which were used for decorative purposes, after someone lit a cigarette inside the bus, Mazharul Islam, officer-in-charge of Tejgaon Police Station, said.

The injured have been taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said Babul Miah, assistant sub-inspector of Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost.

All the injured activists are mostly teens to young adults, Dr Samanta Lal Sen, coordinator of DMCH's Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit, said adding that they suffered minor injuries.