Four people of the same family were injured in an alleged arson attack over an ongoing dispute in Narsingdi’s Raipura upazila.
The incident was reported from the upazila’s Lochonpur area in the early hours of Tuesday (Apr 9).
The injured are one Samsul Hoque’s daughters Priti, 11, Sweety, 13, Muktamoni, 16 and their aunt Khatun Nesa, 65.
They were initially taken to Raipiura Upazila Health Complex and then brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
DMCH Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit Medical Officer Dr Enayet Kabir said that all the victims sustained burn injuries in their arms and their windpipe was damaged.
“Khatun Nesa sustained 12 percent burn injuries while Priti sustained 15, Muktamoni 10 and Sweety 15 percent,” he said.
According to locals, Samsul Hoque’s sons Biplob Mia and Shohag Mia were accused of a murder after which the family went into hiding.
Biplob was granted bail recently and the family moved back into their home on Monday. They were attacked the very same night.
Locals were reluctant to disclose anything about how the attack took place but a few wishing to remain anonymous said that crude petrol bombs were hurled inside the house and the attack might have been motivated by the ongoing murder dispute.
“There has been an ongoing land dispute with our neighbours Shipon and Kajal for quite some time,” said Ratna, one of the victims.
She added that her brothers Shohag and Biplob have been falsely accused in a murder case and after their father’s death in December of last year, the neighbours had been threatening them with death.
“All of us were asleep this morning when a few people including Shipon, Kajal, Robin and Lokman hurled bombs into our house and set it on fire,” she said.
“We think that Biplob might have done this on purpose in order to file a case,” said Lochonpur Union Parishad Chairman Md Nurul Islam.
Meanwhile, Raipura police OC Mohsinul Kabir said that they were yet unclear about the attack.
“We are trying to find out what we can by finding out about the victims. Biplob is mainly infamous as a robber,” he said.
He added that there are multiple cases against him and the police were trying to unearth the details of the attack.