Violence in Bangladesh claimed the life of a seven-year-old girl after the house of a BNP leader was allegedly locked from outside and set on fire in Lakshmipur’s Sadar upazila early Saturday. Police said the arson attack targeted the home of Belal Hossain, a businessman and assistant organising secretary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Bhabaniganj Union. The incident took place amid rising unrest across the country.
Confirming the incident, Officer-in-Charge of Lakshmipur Sadar Model Thana, Md Wahid Parvez, said Belal’s daughter, seven-year-old Ayesha Akter, was burnt to death in the fire.
Belal Hossain and his two other daughters, Salma Akter (16) and Samia Akter (14), sustained critical burn injuries. Belal is currently undergoing treatment at Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital, while his daughters, who suffered 50–60 per cent burns, have been shifted to Dhaka for advanced medical care.
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Recounting the incident, Belal’s mother, Hazira Begum, told The Daily Star that the family was asleep when the fire broke out around 1 am. She said she woke up to see the house in flames and rushed outside, only to find both entrances locked from the outside.
“I went to sleep after dinner. Around 1:00 am, I woke up and saw through the window that my son's tin-shed house was on fire. I ran out screaming, but found both doors of the house locked from the outside. I couldn't enter. Eventually, my son managed to break the door and escape. His wife, Nazma, also managed to get out with their four-month-old infant, Abir Hossain, and six-year-old son, Habib,” she was quoted as saying.
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Hazira Begum alleged that miscreants locked the doors and set the house on fire by pouring petrol, though she said she could not identify those responsible.
Bangladesh unrest goes on
The incident comes at a time when Bangladesh is witnessing renewed protests following the assassination of Sharif Osman Hadi, a key leader of the country’s 2024 uprising. Hadi died in Singapore after being shot. Earlier on Friday, the Muhammed Yunus-led interim administration appealed to citizens to resist intimidation, arson and destruction of property, warning that such acts by fringe elements could threaten peace during a sensitive period for the nation.
On the same day, a young Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was allegedly lynched over blasphemy allegations, after which his body was set on fire by a mob, further underlining the growing violence in the country.
