A man was burned to death while two others, a woman and her son, were critically injured after unidentified individuals set fire to a parked bus in Fulbaria upazila of Mymensingh early today (11 November).

The deceased is believed to be the driver, Julhas, 35, though police had yet to confirm his identity at the time of reporting.

The injured, Sharmin Sultana Rumki, and her son Shahid Islam Badsha, 20, were sent to Dhaka for advanced treatment.

The arson occurred at around 3:15am in the Bhalukjan area, when arsonists suddenly set fire to an Alam Asia bus that had been parked beside the road after dropping off passengers, said Additional Superintendent of Police Md Abdullah Al-Mamun.

He said the bus had stopped near a petrol pump to refuel when the assailants suddenly torched it and fled the scene.

At the time of the arson, passenger Badsha and his mother, residents of Chakradhakanai village in Fulbaria, were inside the bus waiting to go home. Both sustained severe burns.

Upon receiving the information, firefighters rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control. 

They later recovered the completely charred body of a man from inside the bus, initially believed to be the driver.

Law enforcement personnel have been deployed to the area, said Additional SP Abdullah, adding that a drive is underway to identify and arrest those responsible.

Notably, the capital has witnessed a spate of arson in the last few days, raising concerns over security despite heightened law enforcement measures ahead of the banned Awami League's 13 November "Dhaka lockdown" programme.

Early yesterday, two buses were torched within half an hour in Merul Badda and Shahjadpur areas of the capital. 

Later, at about 7:30pm, another bus was set on fire in Dhanmondi, belonging to Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology. 

Arson / Mymensingh