Six people affiliated with the Awami League and its student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in a fire that gutted a BNP ward office in Guimara upazila of Khagrachhari early Tuesday.
The fire broke out around 3am on Tuesday at the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) office in Ward No. 6 of Hafchhari Union’s Baropilak area.
According to local sources, BNP activists and residents spotted the fire around 2:30am and tried to put it out.
However, the flames quickly engulfed the entire office, leaving them unable to bring the situation under control.
On receiving the information, police from Guimara Police Station and firefighters from Matiranga Fire Service rushed to the scene.
The office had already burned down before the firefighters arrived.
Guimara Upazila BNP President Saiful Islam Sohag, General Secretary Mahbub Ali and other union-level party leaders also rushed to the scene after learning about the incident.
BNP activists later staged a protest march in the Baropilak area under their leadership.
BNP leaders blamed activists of the banned Awami League and its affiliated organisation, Chhatra League, for the fire.
They alleged that the office was deliberately set ablaze to create an atmosphere of terror in the area.
Guimara Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sohrawardi confirmed the incident and said six people affiliated with the Awami League and Chhatra League had been detained on suspicion of involvement.
“Legal action will be taken in this regard,” he said.
