A seized passenger bus held as crucial legal evidence caught fire and was severely damaged late Friday outside the Karimpur Highway Police Station in Faridpur.
The 'Purvasha Paribahan' bus was parked in an open unfenced field adjacent to the Faridpur-Khulna Highway. The fire broke out at approximately 10:30 PM. Firefighters from the Faridpur Fire Service responded quickly and brought the blaze under control within 35 minutes though the vehicle was already largely gutted.
The bus had been in police custody since September 3, following a fatal collision with a parked truck in Madhukhali Upazila that resulted in the death of the bus supervisor.
Authorities are actively investigating the cause of the fire. Sribas Baroi, Senior Station Officer of the Faridpur Fire Service stated that the origin of the fire remains undetermined noting it could range from a discarded cigarette to deliberate arson.
The incident has exposed security vulnerabilities at the recently relocated police precinct. Karimpur Highway Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdus Salam acknowledged that the new facility's lack of boundary walls leaves impounded vehicles entirely exposed. "The open field makes it difficult to secure evidence" he noted, adding that an official probe into the cause of the fire is currently underway.
