DHAKA, A distressing incident unfolded on Friday night as four carriages of the Benapole Express, carrying nearly 292 passengers returning from India, were deliberately set ablaze near the Kamalapur Railway Station. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) asserts this as a pre-planned act of sabotage ahead of the boycotted general elections and calls for a thorough UN-supervised investigation.
Shahjahan Sikder, Deputy Assistant Director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Media Cell, confirms the loss of four lives and terms it a heinous act. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Senior Joint Secretary of BNP, deems it an inhuman brutal atrocity and urges the immediate arrest and punishment of those responsible.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expresses deep shock, directing authorities to investigate whether the fire was an act of sabotage. She extends condolences to the victims’ families and instructs immediate steps for the treatment of the injured.
With Bangladesh gearing up for polls on Sunday, tensions escalate. The BNP, led by Khalida Zia, is boycotting the elections, demanding an interim non-party neutral government for fair polls. Meanwhile, over 100 foreign observers, including three from India, have arrived in Dhaka to monitor the election proceedings.
By PTI/Reuters
