The condition of Smriti Akter, the 18-year-old daughter of BNP leader Belal Hossain, remains critical after she was severely burned when assailants allegedly set fire to their house in Lakshmipur.
The attack also caused the death of her seven-year-old sister, Ayesha Akter, who was burned alive in the same incident.
Dr Shawon Bin Rahman, a resident surgeon at the institute, said Smriti sustained burns to nearly 90 percent of her body and remains in critical condition in the ICU.
Smriti was brought to the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute in Dhaka on Saturday morning for treatment. Her sister Bithi, 13, also sustained burns but was discharged after receiving initial care. Their father, Belal Hossain, is receiving treatment at the local Sadar Hospital.
On Sunday evening, senior BNP joint secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi visited Smriti at the hospital to check on her condition. He was accompanied by BNP leader Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee who is Lakshmipur-3 constituency. They spoke with family members and inquired about her treatment.
Speaking to reporters while leaving the hospital, Rizvi said, “Government must investigate whether the arson at Belal Hossain’s house in Lakshmipur was carried out to target BNP or for some other reason.”
He added that, even after 5 August, terrorists should not be allowed to roam freely in the country.
“We must also determine if there is any connection between the murder of Osman Hadi and this attack. Foreign forces and their local collaborators may be attempting to destabilise the country and disrupt elections” Rizvi mentioned.
The incident occurred late on Friday night in Sutar Gupta, Chor Monsha village, Bhabaniganj Union, Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila.
Armed assailants reportedly broke into the house, poured petrol, and set it ablaze. Ayesha Akter, aged seven, died in the fire, while her father and two daughters were seriously injured. Belal Hossain is the BNP Bhabaniganj Union joint organising secretary and runs a fertiliser and pesticide business in Sutar Gupta market.
The attack has sparked widespread outrage. Earlier protests across Dhaka, including a silent march by Jagannath Hall students at Dhaka University and a rally by Jatiya Sramik Shakti in Shahbagh, demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible for the murders of Dipu Chandra Das and Ayesha Akter.
