Miscreants Set fire to BNP Leader's House in Lakshmipur, Child dies, 2 others Injured

Miscreants locked the door of a BNP leader named Belal Chowdhury's house in Bhabaniganj, Lakshmipur and set it on fire by pouring petrol. Belal's sleeping daughter Ayesha Akhter Sanju (8) who was in the house burnt to death. Two other sleeping daughters Salma Akhter Smriti (17) and Samia Akhter Bithi (14) were burnt to death. They have been admitted to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College.

The incident took place at around 12:30 am on Friday (December 19) in Sutargopta area of Paschim Charmansa village of Bhabaniganj union of Sadar upazila.

Belal is the son of the deceased Narul Islam of the area and is a pesticide trader. He is the joint organizing secretary of Bhabaniganj union BNP.

Belal's mother, Hazera Begum, said, "I saw my son's tin-set house on fire through the window shortly after I went to bed at night. I quickly came out. The two doors of the house were locked, so I couldn't enter. My son broke the door and came out. My son's wife, Nazma, came out with Abir Hossain and six-year-old Habib, who had been living there for four months, with both hands.

She also said that my granddaughters Salma, Samia and Sanju were sleeping in one of the rooms of the house. Two of them were able to be brought out in a burnt state. But the younger daughter Sanju burned to death inside the house. Her son Belal was also injured.

She claimed that the miscreants locked the two doors of the tin-set house and set it on fire with the help of petrol. However, she could not say who did the incident or whether there was any conflict with anyone.

Laxmipur Sadar Model Police Station OC Md. Wahid Parvez said that after receiving the information, the police visited the scene. One child died of burns. Three others were burnt. The fire is being investigated. It is being investigated whether it was a planned act of sabotage.