The BNP leader and his two other daughters, Salma Akter, 16, and Samia Akter, 14, reportedly suffered critical burn injuries, while the other daughter was burnt to death
Amid the ongoing wave of protests in Bangladesh, a seven-year-old girl was burnt to death and three others critically injured as the house of a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader was locked from outside and set on fire in Lakshmipur Sadar upazila in the early hours of Saturday.
The incident occurred around 1:00am (local time) at the residence of Belal Hossain in West Char Mansa village, said police. Hossain is a businessman and assistant organising secretary of Bhabaniganj Union BNP, as per a report by Bangladeshi media outlet The Daily Star.
The BNP leader and his two other daughters, Salma Akter, 16, and Samia Akter, 14, suffered critical burn injuries. Belal is receiving treatment at Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital, while his daughters – who suffered 50-60% burns on their bodies – have been sent to Dhaka for advanced care.
What exactly happened?
Belal’s mother, Hazira Begum told the outlet that she had gone off to sleep, when around 1 am at night – she woke up and saw that her son’s house was on fire. She tried to enter the blazing house, but found both entrances to the building locked.
The woman claimed that miscreants locked both doors and set the house on fire by pouring petrol, but could not identify who was responsible.
“I went to sleep after dinner. Around 1:00am, 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,” Hazira Begum was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.
Burn victims in ‘critical condition’
Belal’s daughter, Ayesha Akter aged seven-years-old, was burnt to death, while the two other daughters were referred to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka, as their condition was reportedly critical.
The BNP leader and his daughters were first taken to the Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital, from where the teenagers were transferred to the institute of burn surgery.
The tragic incident occurred amid the fresh wave of protests that have gripped Bangladesh following the assassination attempt on Sharif Osman Hadi. A prominent leader of Bangladesh’s 2024 uprising – Hadi died in Singapore after being shot.
Bangladesh unrest
– In a statement released on Friday, the Muhammed Yunus led interim Bangladesh administration called on citizens to resist intimidation, arson and the destruction of property, stressing that such actions—carried out by what it described as a small group of fringe elements—risk undermining peace at a critical juncture for the country.
– On Friday, a Hindu youth named Dipu Chandra Das was barbarically lynched following allegations of blasphemy. His lifeless body was then set to fire by the mob.
– Earlier on Saturday, the interim Bangladesh government’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said that seven suspects believed to be involved in the death of a Hindu youth in Mymensingh, have been arrested.
