A case has been filed four days after a seven-year-old girl was killed in an arson attack on the house of a BNP leader in Lakshmipur’s Sadar upazila.
The incident occurred on the night of 19 December at Charmansa village under Bhabaniganj Union. Miscreants allegedly locked the house from outside and set it on fire by pouring petrol, according to police and family members.
The victim, Ayesha Akter, 7, was asleep inside the house at the time and died after being trapped by the flames.
On Tuesday evening, the child’s father and local BNP leader Belal Hossain filed the case with Lakshmipur Sadar Model Police Station, naming unidentified persons as accused.
Officer-in-Charge of Lakshmipur Sadar Police Station Wahid Parvez confirmed the filing of the case and said police have launched an investigation into the arson attack.
Belal Hossain serves as the joint organising secretary of Bhabaniganj Union BNP. Family members and local residents said Belal Hossain was at home with his family when the attackers set the house on fire. The blaze spread rapidly, leaving Ayesha trapped inside.
Belal Hossain and his two other daughters were also injured in the incident. They were initially taken to Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital. As their condition deteriorated, the two injured daughters, Bithi Akter and Smriti Akter , were referred to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka for advanced treatment.
The failure to identify or arrest the perpetrators even four days after the incident has sparked criticism and anger among BNP leaders and various quarters.
OC Wahid Parvez said police have collected evidence from the scene and efforts are under way to identify and arrest those responsible.
Following instructions from BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, party Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Joint Secretary General Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee visited Belal Hossain at Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital.
On behalf of Tarique Rahman, they handed over Tk4 lakh in financial assistance to the family. Later, the BNP leaders visited Ayesha’s grave and met Belal Hossain’s wife at their residence, assuring the family of full support for medical treatment and the reconstruction of the damaged house.
