Protesters torch bus in Bangladesh unrest; 4 dead

DHAKA: Four passengers aboard a Bangladesh bus were burned alive on Wednesday when anti-government protesters threw a petrol bomb at the packed vehicle, taking the death toll from a bloody nation-wide blockade to 18.
The victims included a young child, while an aide to opposition leader Khaleda Zia survived an assassination attempt in a new upsurge of political unrest in Bangladesh.
The attack on the bus in the northern town of Mithapukur was carried out as anti-government activists tried to enforce a transport blockade as part of efforts to force the downfall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
It was the deadliest incident since an outbreak of violence at the turn of the year when Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Zia was confined to her office after calling for Hasina to stand down. Zia remains stuck in the compound. The police chief in Mithapukur, Rabiul Alam, said the packed bus was firebombed as it travelled to the capital Dhaka, blaming the attack on followers of an Islamist party which is part of a BNP-led alliance.
“At least 14 people were burnt in the attack. Four of them died, including a child whose body was charred beyond recognition,” Alam told AFP. “Three of the victims are in a very critical condition.”
Bangladesh has been wrecked by political violence for decades, and the latest crisis erupted on Jan. 5 when demonstrations broke out on the anniversary of last year’s disputed elections. The BNP has denied that any parties in its opposition alliance were involved in the bus attack.