A seven-year-old girl has been killed in Bangladesh after an angry mob set fire to the home of a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader, as violence continues to grip the country following the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
According to reports by The Daily Star and Dhaka Tribune, the house of BNP leader Belal Hossain in Lakshmipur was attacked and set ablaze in the early hours of Saturday. The incident reportedly occurred around 1 am, when protesters gathered outside the residence and torched it while family members were still inside.
Belal’s daughter, seven-year-old Ayesha Akter, died in the fire, Officer-in-Charge of Lakshmipur Sadar Model Police Station Md Wahid Parvez told The Daily Star.
Add Zee News as a Preferred Source
“One child was found dead, and three people were rescued with burn injuries,” Rajint Kumar of the Lakshmipur fire service told Dhaka Tribune.
Belal Hossain and his two other daughters, 16-year-old Salma Akter and 14-year-old Samia Akter, sustained critical burn injuries. The injured were initially rescued from the house and later shifted to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors described their condition as critical.
Speaking to The Daily Star, Belal’s mother confirmed the attack and alleged that the assailants had locked the doors of the house before setting it on fire after pouring petrol.
Unrest Continues Across Bangladesh
Bangladesh remains on high alert amid widespread unrest triggered by Hadi’s death. In the initial aftermath, protesters targeted the offices of prominent newspapers, The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, vandalising their premises.
Hadi was laid to rest in Dhaka on Saturday amid tight security, as large crowds gathered to pay their last respects. Addressing mourners at the funeral, interim chief Muhammad Yunus delivered an emotional tribute.
“You are in our hearts, and you will remain in the heart of all Bangladeshis as long as the country exists,” Yunus said.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation as tensions remain high across several parts of the country.
The Law Enforcement agencies in Bangladesh on Sunday stated they have arrested two more individuals in connection with the mob lynching of the Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, in the Mymensingh district, taking the total number of arrests to 12.
According to the Daily Star, citing sources from the Bangladesh police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the latest arrests were made early today.
Mymensingh’s Additional Superintendent of Police, Abdullah Al Mamun, stated that the two individuals were identified as Ashik aged 25 and Kaium aged 25, The Daily Star reported.
All 12 detainees had been handed over to the Bhaluka Police Station in Mymensingh.
It was noted that Dipu Chandra Das, who was a worker in a garment factory, was beaten to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy charges, and his body was subsequently hanged and set on fire on December 18.
According to the Daily Star, an additional superintendent of police stated that a factory official had informed Bhaluka police that a group of workers attacked Dipu inside the factory, accusing him of making “derogatory remarks about the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)” in a Facebook post.
Factory sources told The Daily Star that the assailants later took Dipu out of the factory premises, where local residents also joined the attack, resulting in his death.
However, RAB-14 Company Commander in Mymensingh, Md Samsuzzaman, told The Daily Star that investigators found no evidence suggesting the deceased had posted or written anything on Facebook that could have hurt religious sentiments, adding that neither local residents nor fellow garment factory workers could point to any such activity by the victim.
The victim’s brother, Apu Chandra Das, also filed a case at Bhaluka Police Station on Friday, naming 140 to 150 unidentified individuals as accused. The incident sparked widespread outrage and condemnation.
Earlier on Saturday, the Chief Advisor of the Interim government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, in a statement, stated that ten individuals were arrested in connection with the brutal murder of Dipu Chandra Das, noting that the RAB apprehended seven suspects, while the police arrested three others.
According to the statement, the individuals arrested by RAB are Md Limon Sarkar (19), Md Tarek Hossain (19), Md Manik Mia (20), Ershad Ali (39), Nijum Uddin (20), Alomgir Hossain (38) and Md Miraj Hossain Akon (46).
While the three arrested by the police are Md Azmol Hasan Sagir (26), Md Shahin Mia (19) and Md Nazmul (21).
Further investigation into the incident is underway, officials also added.
(With ANI inputs)
Comments are closed.