Miscreants torch 6 buses in Dhaka

Miscreants torched a total of six buses at different places in the capital Dhaka when the by-election to Dhaka-18 parliamentary constituency was going on.

The buses were set on fire between 12:30pm and 2:30pm, said a control room officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters.

The buses were torched at Shahbagh, Gulistan and Motijheel area and near the Secretariat and National Press Club area, the official said.

On information, fire fighters from different adjoining stations rushed to the spots and doused the fire however no one was injured in the incident, he added.

Walid Hossain, deputy commissioner (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police told reporters that miscreants torched the buses but it is unclear, who are involved in such criminal offences.

By-election to Dhaka-18 parliamentary constituency is underway through electronic voting machines amid low turnout of voters.

A total of six candidates are contesting in the elections.

The contenders are Awami League nominated Md Habib Hasan, BNP nominated SM Jahangir Hossain, Jatiya Party's Nasir Uddin Sarkar, Gano Front's Kazi Md Shahidullah, Bangladesh Congress's Omar Faruk and PDP's Mobibullah Bahar.

A bomb like substance went off near Maleka Banu High School at Uttara during the voting and police detained three people in this connection.