Series of Fires Erupt in the Capital; Police Call All Three ‘Accidental’

A series of fires broke out in Dhaka today, affecting a microbus in Uttara, a police van in Ramna, and a bus in Mirpur. Police have described all three as accidents. However, locals and social media users find it hard to believe, citing the suspicious timing – just before the banned Awami League's call for a "Dhaka lockdown" tomorrow and a key court hearing in the case against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. With heightened security already in place, many are questioning if these incidents were deliberately set to incite unrest.

The fires occurred amid a night of other attacks, including buses torched in Jatrabari and Uttara, and crude bombs thrown at sites linked to the interim government. No one was injured in today's major incidents, but they caused panic and traffic disruptions. Police checkpoints and patrols by the army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) filled the streets, making roads unusually quiet. Metro rail saw fewer passengers as well.

Uttara Fire – First in the Morning

A Hiace microbus caught fire at 7:18am on Jasim Uddin Road in Uttara. Two units of the Fire Service rushed to the scene and extinguished the flames quickly. No one was hurt. Airport Thana investigation officer Sheikh Rufikul Islam denied any link to the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and told The Daily Campus that the fire was caused by "engine spark." He added that police were on special duty when they noticed black smoke. Officer Md. Sanowar Hossain and his team reached the spot and found the vehicle already ablaze. They immediately called the Fire Service.

The driver, Md. Monir Hossain (45), told reporters he was picking up Partex Group AGM Md. Anwar Sumon from Mahakhali when the engine caught fire. But this came hours after a Rajdhani bus was torched in the same area at 4:00am. Online posts blamed the banned Chhatra League, but police called those claims fake. Locals say, "Two fires so close? That smells like arson."

Ramna Fire – At the Police Station

By 11:00am, a police pickup van burst into flames right outside Ramna Model Thana in Kakrail. The van had broken down earlier and was being repaired when the engine ignited. A mechanic suffered minor burns, but thana staff extinguished the blaze swiftly. OC Golam Faruk said it was a "battery short-circuit from the mechanic's mistake." DMP's media chief Muhammad Talebur Rahman backed that up in a statement: "Just a simple repair gone wrong. Don't buy the wild stories online." Still, witnesses reported seeing motorbikes nearby before the fire started.

Mirpur Fire – Last and Loudest

After 12:30pm, a Shatabdi Paribahan bus went up in flames near Sony Square (Cinema Hall) in Mirpur-1. Eyewitnesses say people on bikes approached, threw something, and sped off. Flames spread rapidly, causing people to flee and nearby shops to close temporarily. Shah Ali Thana SI Ruhul arrived promptly and contained the fire. However, he initially told reporters the probe suggests a "cigarette from back-seat passengers" started it. He added they are investigating possible sabotage.

Why the Doubt? Timing and Tension

These fires erupted as Dhaka braces for major unrest. The Awami League – banned since last year's uprising – called a full "lockdown" for November 13 to protest the "Yunus government" and what they term sham trials. On the same day, the International Crimes Tribunal will announce the date for its verdict in Hasina's crimes against humanity case over the 2024 crackdown that killed 1,400. Hasina, in exile in India, faces charges alongside ex-Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

Police have arrested over 30 Awami League members this week for plotting violence. DMP Commissioner Sheikh Mohammad Sazzat Ali banned rallies near courts and set up checkpoints on major roads like Airport Road and Mirpur Road. BGB deployed 14 platoons to Dhaka. "We're monitoring for bombs and fake news," said DMP's SN Nazrul Islam. BNP, Jamaat, and student groups have vowed to counter any lockdown.

Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury assured no cause for alarm, with the army remaining on standby. But with 17 crude bombs thrown since early November—including at Grameen Bank in Brahmanbaria—public trust is low.

DMP maintains investigations are ongoing with no sabotage links yet. No arrests from today's incidents. Authorities urge staying indoors and reporting suspicious activity.