At least 12 buses, owned by expelled Awami League leader Sajjad Hossain Barkat and his brother Imtiaz Hossain Rubel, were set on fire by unidentified miscreants at a terminal in Faridpur district town at early hours on Saturday.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seized 22 buses in June 2020 following a court order after Barkat and Rubel were arrested in a money laundering case. After that, those buses had been kept at the terminal.
A gang of assailants set the 12 buses of ‘South Line’ Paribahan on fire at the terminal in Goalchamte around 1.30am on Saturday, said superintendent of Faridpur police Md Alimuzzaman.
Being informed, fire fighting units were rushed to the spot and distinguished the blaze.
Barkat’s wife Suraiya Parveen said a local court on February 25, 2020, ordered to seized 55 vehicles, owned by Barkat-Rubel.
Shipul Ahmed, assistant director of Faridpur Fire Service and Civil Defense, said, “A probe is on to unearth the origin of the fire.”
“The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will look into the case,” said inspector Nasir Hossain.
On March 3 last year, the CID filed a chargesheet against 10 people, including Barkat and Rubel, in a Tk 2,000 crore money laundering case.
CID’s assistant superintendent Uttam Kumar Biswas submitted the chargesheet in the Dhaka metropolitan magistrate’s court.
