A bus driver died after inhaling smoke as miscreants set fire to a stationary bus beside Dhaka-Barishal highway near the municipal bus terminal in Goalchamot area of Faridpur city early Tuesday.

The deceased was identified as Kalachan Sheikh, 55, son of late Nuruddin Sheikh of Diknagar village in Muksudpur upazila of Gopalganj. He had been working as a bus driver for around 30 years.

Police and bus workers said Kalachan used to sleep inside the bus when it got late at night.

Azmir Hossain, additional superintendent of police (Sadar Circle) in Faridpur, said three people arrived on a motorcycle and one of them poured petrol on the bus before setting it on fire.

The driver, who was sleeping inside, was not directly burnt but fell sick after inhaling smoke while escaping from the bus, he said.

He was taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital where an emergency department doctor declared him dead.

Faridpur Fire Service Senior Station Master Sribas Baroi said they received information about the fire at 1:55am and rushed to the spot to find the bus engulfed in flames.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control after 15 to 20 minutes of efforts.

The driver fell sick during the incident and was rushed to hospital, he said.

Abul Bashar, organising secretary of Faridpur Motor Workers’ Labour Union, said Kalachan was sleeping inside the parked bus beside the terminal when it was set on fire.

He said the driver suffered burns to one hand due to the heat and got out of the bus before trying to put out the fire himself.

He later fell sick and was rushed to hospital.

Police are collecting CCTV footage from different roads in the city and have launched an operation to identify and arrest those involved, the police official added.