Another bus set on fire in Dhaka amid surge in arson

A bus operated by Malancha Paribahan was set on fire in the Sutrapur area of Dhaka around 6pm on Tuesday, marking the ninth vehicle arson incident in just two days.

The fire broke out while the bus was parked, prompting a response from the Dhaka Fire Service. Duty Officer Rafi Al Faruk confirmed that a unit was dispatched to the scene and brought the blaze under control. He could not immediately determine the cause of the fire.

This follows a series of similar incidents across the city. On Monday evening, three buses — two from Raida Paribahan and one from Rajdhani Paribahan — were torched in Jatrabari, Uttara, and Bashundhara. Earlier on Monday, a moving bus belonging to Shanto Mariam University caught fire in front of LabAid Hospital in Dhanmondi. Two more buses were set alight on Tuesday morning in Merul Badda and Shahjadpur.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md. Sajjat Ali confirmed at a press conference at the DMP Media Centre on Tuesday afternoon that nine vehicles have been deliberately set on fire over the past 48 hours.

In connection with the broader wave of arson attacks — which began following a series of “cocktail explosion” incidents in recent days — police have registered 17 cases and arrested 50 individuals in the past 24 hours.

Authorities have not yet identified a specific motive for the targeted attacks on public transport vehicles, but they are investigating possible links to ongoing civil unrest and retaliatory violence. Security has been increased around major bus terminals and transport hubs across the capital.

The repeated arson attacks have sparked public concern over the safety of commuters and the effectiveness of law enforcement in preventing targeted violence against public infrastructure.