A wave of grief has swept through the region as two sisters, daughters of local BNP leader Belal Chowdhury, were buried side-by-side following a fatal arson attack on their home. The elder daughter, Salma Akhter Smriti, was laid to rest next to her younger sister, Ayesha Akhter Sanju, on Thursday night.
On the night of Friday, December 19, miscreants set fire to Belal Chowdhury's residence. The family was trapped inside as the fire spread rapidly.
The younger sister, Ayesha (17), succumbed to her injuries shortly after the incident. Six days later, the elder sister, Smriti, passed away while undergoing intensive treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital Burn Unit.
Belal Chowdhury and another daughter, Samia (Bithi), also sustained burn injuries. Belal has since been released from the hospital, but describes his life as "shattered."
The victims' mother, Nazma Akhter, has called for capital punishment for those responsible, recounting the harrowing moments her daughters begged for their lives.
Investigating officers recovered three locks from the scene—two of which were found locked from the outside. While a case has been filed against unidentified individuals, police noted they have not yet found evidence of petrol being used as an accelerant.
Senior BNP leaders, including Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, visited the grieving family. BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has provided Tk 4 lakh for the family's rehabilitation and medical expenses.
"My entire world ended in five minutes," a tearful Belal Chowdhury told reporters. He expressed the profound guilt of being unable to save his children despite surviving the blaze himself.
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