With no room left, the injured in the petrol bomb attack on a bus in Gaibandha being treated on the floor of Rangpur Medical College Hospital yesterday. People are seen fanning them to give them some comfort. Photo: Star

Six more names were added to the list of those killed in mindless arson attacks since the BNP-led alliance enforced an indefinite countrywide blockade on January 6.

Three were killed in a firebomb attack on a truck at Gournadi of Barisal while three more burn victims of Friday night's arson on a bus in Gaibandha died yesterday, taking the death toll in the grisly attack to six.

Including the six, as many as 66 people were killed in the ongoing violence, mostly in the form of arson attacks on cargo and passenger vehicles.

In Barisal, alleged blockaders hurled a petrol bomb at a poultry feed-laden truck in Mahilara area around 4:45am. As the truck caught fire, the driver lost control on wheels and hit a roadside tree, reports our Barisal Correspondent citing witnesses and police.

On impact, the front side of the truck caved in, trapping the driver and two others inside while the fire from the Molotov cocktail engulfed the vehicle, police constable Abdur Rashid, who witnessed the incident, told this paper.

Firefighters and locals doused the flame and rescued them but three were declared dead at Gournadi Health Complex, police said.

The victims were trucker Ijayedul Islam, 35, from Badarpur of Faridpur Sadar; his father-in-law Motaleb Sheikh, 65, from Tambulkhana Bangdoba of Faridpur; and helper Munnu Mia, 45, from Mollabari of Faridpur.

Ripon Mia, owner of the truck, said the truck was heading for Barisal from Bagher Bazaar of Gazipur.

Motaleb boarded the truck heading for Barisal from Bagher Bazaar of Gazipur to visit another son-in-law's house in Barisal, Ijayedul's brother Sahidul Islam said.

Humayun Kabir, deputy inspector general of police of Barisal Range, said two were detained in connection with the attack.

At Rangpur hospital, 12-year-old Sujan, son of Tara Miah from Chandipur of Gaibandha's Sundarganj upazila died around 7:30am yesterday. He had been admitted there with 95 percent burns soon after Friday night's attack, in which a child and three others were instantly burn alive.

This truck at Mahilara Bus Stand in Gouranadi on Dhaka-Barisal highway hit a tree after alleged blockade supporters hurled a petrol bomb at it early yesterday. Three people inside the cabin were killed. Photo: Star

Sujan's mother Sonavan Begum, 35, who suffered 80 percent burns, died around 4:00pm while Saju Mia, 25, of the same village failed in his battle with death around 9:15pm, reports our Rangpur correspondent citing hospital sources.

Having lost his son and wife, Tara Miah himself along with eight-year-old daughter Tanjin also were being treated at the hospital with seven and eight percent burns respectively.

Of the other 16 undergoing treatment there, condition of six were critical, said Maruful Islam, head of Burn and Plastic Surgery unit of the hospital.

The Dhaka-bound bus, carrying around 60 people most of whom were labourers, was in a convoy of 20-25 vehicles under protection of law enforcing agencies, reports our Gaibandha correspondent.

The other deceased were Syed Ali of Kalir Khamar, Halima Bewya and Sumon Mia of Chandipur, and Shilpi Das of Nager Khamar in Sundarganj.

Eleven people were detained in this connection, police said.

In Dhaka, at least six people were injured in two separate crude bomb blasts last evening.

More than three crude bombs went off near Chhobirhaat area on the Dhaka University campus around 7:45pm, injuring at least five people.

Police could not arrest anyone in this connection, although it happened only around 50 yards away from Shahbagh Police Station.

The injured -- Azhar, 20, a second year student of the university's Finance department; Jibon, 25; Rabiul, 30; Awal, 30; and Rintu, 25 -- took treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

In a separate incident, a crude bomb was exploded at Bakshibazar in the capital around 8:00pm, injuring a 12-yar-old named Rahat.

A police sergeant was injured in yet another similar blast in the city's Shyamoli area yesterday morning. Sergeant Golam Maula was treated at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, police said.

Elsewhere, two maize-laden trucks were torched at Moheshpur in Gaibandha's Palashbari, and a bomb was hurled at the office of Awami League lawmaker Abdul Odud in Chapainawabganj. However, none were injured in the incidents.

In Narayanganj, a trucker and his assistant were burnt after blockaders hurled a petrol bomb on their vehicle at Kanchan municipality around 6:00am. Driver Badsha Miah, 40, and helper Helal Miah, 38, were sent to the DMCH, said police. Badsha was reportedly in a critical condition.

Meanwhile, in a heroic deed, a driver in Jhalakathi saved the passengers of his bus from a firebomb attack after he ploughed his vehicles through a group of arsonists led by Taijul Islam, Rajapur upazila unit president of Islami Chhatra Shibir.

Police said Taijul and his associates threw a petrol bomb at the Dhaka-bound Eagle Paribahan bus when it reached Balaybari under police escort on Friday night.

As Taijul, having missed on his first attempt, was preparing to throw another, the driver drove right into them, injuring Taijul.

However, he lost control on the wheels and the bus veered off the road. The driver and a passenger were also injured in the incident, police said.

Tajul was arrested while the driver was rewarded with Tk 10,000 by police for his heroic act.

Meanwhile, at least 14 activists of the BNP, Jamaat and banned outfit Hiz but-Tahrir were detained from different areas in the capital, 25 in Chittagong and four in Dinajpur allegedly for plotting subversive activities, police said.