4 killed in arson attack on commuter train in Bangladesh

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DHAKA, Bangladesh, Dec 19: In a tragic incident on Tuesday morning, an arson attack on a commuter train in Bangladesh resulted in the deaths of at least four individuals, including a woman and her three-year-old child. The authorities confirmed that the Mohanganj Express in the capital, Dhaka, was targeted as arsonists set three train cars ablaze at the Tejgaon Railway Station, as reported by the media team of the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense.

Emergency responders, comprising three units of firefighters, swiftly rushed to the scene, bringing the fire under control and recovering the victims’ bodies from one of the compartments. In response to the incident, authorities have formed a five-member team to identify the perpetrators, who disguised themselves as passengers and fled the scene.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), in opposition, condemned the attack, urging a fair investigation to bring the culprits to justice. This tragic event follows another deadly incident last week when seven coaches of a Dhaka-bound commuter train derailed in Gazipur. Suspected saboteurs, using a gas cutter, sliced through the railway line, resulting in one fatality and several injuries. No group has claimed responsibility for either attack.

These incidents unfolded amid heightened political tensions in Bangladesh, coinciding with the commencement of national election campaigns. Opposition parties, dissatisfied with the government’s refusal to establish a neutral caretaker administration until the January 7 polls, have called for a strike in protest. The government deems such a setup unconstitutional.

Since the eruption of political unrest in late October, at least 21 opposition supporters, along with a journalist and a police officer, have lost their lives in Bangladesh. The turmoil has led to the arrest of over 25,100 BNP supporters, with 1,249 facing imprisonment, and legal actions initiated against more than 93,200, according to the BNP.

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