As per the reports, a fire was set to the residence of a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader in the Lakshmipur Sadar upazila, southeastern Bangladesh in the early hours of Saturday, which claimed the life of a seven year old girl and caused others to suffer injuries. Attacks on the police and local people reported that the family was trapped in the house, the house was drenched with petrol, and then it was set on fire while the family was asleep.
Who Is The 7-Year-Old Girl?
The little girl, Ayesha Akter Ayesha Begum in some reports, the youngest daughter of Md Belal Hossain, who is the assistant organising secretary of Bhabaniganj Union BNP, was trapped in the fire and died before the rescue team could reach her. The other three family members, including Belal and his two older daughters, suffered severe burns and were rushed to the hospital for treatment immediately.
Bangladesh Turning Chaotic
The police and the neighbors reported the incident as having happened around 1:00 AM, which was completely unexpected by the family. The fire grew quickly, but Belal’s wife accompanied by her two small kids was saved just in time by the neighbors, and they all got out before the firemen arrived, who took about an hour to control the fire. Wounded Hossain along with his daughters Salma Akter, aged 16, and Samia Akter, aged 14, were first treated at Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital and after that transferred to the burn units in Dhaka since the injuries were very serious and the doctors informed that large parts of their bodies were severely burned. The government has begun a probe and the police are saying that they are already hunting down the perpetrators and will soon arrest them for the murder plot.
Police Reports Of The Incident
The whole incident has created a stir and a big concern that not only was the case of the mentioned student leader, which have already led to nationwide protests and riots, but also the whole issue of political rivalry and the related law and order that are now the main problems in the country. The critics of the present administration are demanding that the government to take immediate steps to restore peace and to acknowledge the violence that has occurred in the fortnight. The opposition party’s local officials and the family of the victim have termed the attack as a tactic to exacerbate tensions and demand an impartial investigation, justice for the victim and her family as well.
