Four people, including a leader of Chhatra Dal’s Jahangirnagar University (JU) unit, suffered burn injuries in a fire at their house in Islamnagar, Savar, on Tuesday night.
The injured were identified as Saiful Islam Roni, 28, a former JU student; Md Hasinur, 26, a driver for a university professor; and two brothers, Raihan and Rahat, sons of a staff member at JU’s Bhashani Hall.
The incident occurred around 9pm on the second floor of a house in Lane 6, Islamnagar, adjacent to the campus.
According to Saiful’s brother Rana and friends, Saiful currently serves as a member of JU’s Chhatra Dal convening committee and as the joint general secretary of Dhaka District North.
Although he resided in a university hall, Saiful had gone to the residence of Raihan and Rahat to mediate a long-standing family dispute between the two siblings, they said.
Witnesses reported that an argument broke out during the mediation, during which Raihan allegedly poured petrol and set the room on fire.
The flames quickly spread, leaving Raihan, Rahat, and Saiful burned. Hasinur, who was also present there, suffered burn injuries.
Local residents, alerted by the victims’ screams, rushed to the scene to extinguish the fire and rescue the injured, who were initially taken to a local hospital.
At midnight, Saiful and Hasinur were transferred to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka, while the two brothers, Raihan and Rahat, were admitted to a private hospital in Mohammadpur.
Dr Shawon Bin Rahman, a resident surgeon at the burn institute, confirmed that Saiful sustained burns on 30 percent of his body, while Hasinur suffered burns on 15 percent. Both are currently undergoing treatment.
Julhas Uddin, duty officer at Zirabo Model Fire Station, said two units were dispatched to the scene upon receiving the report; however, they returned halfway after learning that locals had already managed to bring the fire under control.
