Bangladesh unrest: Mob torches BNP leader’s house; 7-year-old daughter burnt to death

A seven-year-old daughter of a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader was burnt to death in Bangladesh’s Lakshmipur Sadar upazila as a mob of protestors set his residence ablaze on Sunday, the Daily Star reported.According to the report, the incident occurred at around 1.00am at the residence of Belal Hossain,a businessman and assistant organising secretary of Bhabaniganj Union BNP. In the incident, Belal, along with his two other daughters Salma Akter, 16, and Samia Akter, 14, suffered critical burn injuries.

Belal’s mother, Hazera Begum, 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,” Hazara said“My granddaughters, Salma, Samia, and Ayesha, were sleeping in one of the rooms. Two of them were rescued with severe burns, but the youngest girl (Ayesha) was burnt to death inside. Belal was also badly burned,” she added.Meanwhile, the police has visited the spot with and confirmed the details to The Daily Star at 10.30am this morning, saying, “We are investigating who committed this act and the motive behind it.”Dr Arup Pal, residential medical officer (RMO) of Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital, told The Daily Star, “Two teenage girls and their father were brought to the emergency department with burn injuries around 2.00am. Belal Hossain has been admitted here, but the two girls were referred to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka, as their condition is critical. About 50-60% of their bodies have been burnt.“This took place during a protest across Bangladesh after the murder of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi.Hadi, a prominent youth leader, was shot in the head by masked gunmen on December 12 while attending an election campaign in the Bijoynagar area of central Dhaka. He was later taken abroad for advanced medical treatment but died from his injuries in Singapore on Thursday.The unrest soon spread beyond the capital, with demonstrators attempting to march toward Indian diplomatic sites and vandalising properties linked to the former ruling Awami League.Bangladesh held Hadi’s funeral earlier on Saturday in Dhaka, with a large crowd attending under heightened security arrangements.Officials said investigations into the killing and the security lapse were ongoing, with law enforcement placed on high alert to prevent further violence.