In a heartbreaking development, Salma Akter Smriti, the elder daughter of Lakshmipur BNP leader Belal Hossain, died on Wednesday night after succumbing to severe burn injuries sustained in a deliberate arson attack on their family home.
This marks the second death in the family from the incident, following the earlier loss of her younger sister, seven-year-old Ayesha Akter, who perished in the flames on the night of the attack.
The attack occurred in the early hours of December 19 in the Sutargopta area of Char Mansa village, Bhabaniganj Union, Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila. Miscreants allegedly locked the doors from outside, poured petrol, and set the house ablaze while the family was asleep.
Belal Hossain, assistant organising secretary of the local BNP unit, and his daughters Smriti and Samia Akter Bithi, 14, were severely burned. Smriti, with 90% of her body affected, fought for her life in the ICU of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka for five days before passing away.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Hosain Mohammad Raihan Kazemi confirmed Smriti’s death on Thursday morning. Belal Hossain filed a case against unknown assailants at Lakshmipur Sadar Model Police Station on December 23. Police recovered padlocks from the scene and are investigating, though initial reports noted no immediate evidence of external locking in some accounts.
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This barbaric act of locking a family inside their home and setting it on fire represents the height of lawlessness and mobocracy plaguing Bangladesh. Innocent lives, including those of children and teenagers with no involvement in politics, have been mercilessly taken in what appears to be targeted political vengeance.
Such cowardly attacks—trapping sleeping families and burning them alive—have no place in a civilised society and must be condemned in the strongest terms by all political parties, civil society, and the interim government.
The descent into mob rule, where crowds take justice into their own hands through arson, vandalism, and lynching, undermines the rule of law and threatens the nation’s fragile transition to democracy. Amid ongoing unrest, these incidents highlight a dangerous vacuum where impunity reigns, allowing extremists and agitators to terrorise citizens regardless of affiliation. The authorities must act swiftly to arrest the perpetrators, ensure justice, and restore order to prevent further descent into chaos. Bangladesh deserves peace, not this cycle of retribution and terror.
BNP leaders have expressed outrage, with senior figures visiting the family and demanding a thorough probe. The tragedy underscores the urgent need for all sides to reject violence and uphold democratic norms ahead of upcoming elections.
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