A day after a train was set ablaze in poll-bound Bangladesh that resulted in the deaths of four people, at least two schools that were set to become polling stations for the upcoming elections on Sunday were set ablaze by unidentified persons on Saturday. No casualties or injuries have been reported so far.
The incident took place in Nischinta Para Government Primary School around 4:30 am in Chittagong and East Chandana Government Primary School in Gazipur City. "Arsonists set the school's headmaster's room on fire. New books which were kept in the room were burnt," Shakila Soltana, Deputy Commissioner of CMP Port Division, told The Daily Star.
Police are currently investigating the incidents, according to officials. In Gazipur, the unknown arsonists destroyed books and documents inside, according to Abdullah-al-Arefin, deputy assistant director of Gazipur Fire Service. Emergency workers from Joydebpur and Gazipur Chowrasta fire stations subsequently extinguished the blaze.
Meanwhile, other five schools that are designated polling centres and 10 election camps came under arson attacks between Thursday and Friday in six districts. At least 14 arson attacks were reported in 16 hours till 9:30 am on Saturday, according to Fire Service Statistics.
A train, two pick-up vans, two lorries and a truck were torched while a Buddhist Temple in Cox's Bazar and eight educational institutions were set on fire, it added. At least 32 fire engines worked to douse the blazes. Sabia Government Primary School of Chandighat union in Moulvibazar Sadar upazila was set on fire by arsonists last night.
Train set ablaze in Bangladesh
At least four people were killed, including two children, and several others were injured after four coaches of the Benapole Express train in Dhaka's Gopibagh area were set ablaze on Friday, two days ahead of the elections. Railway officials said that most of the train’s nearly 292 passengers were returning home from India.
Bangladesh's main opposition party has demanded a UN-supervised probe into the fire incident calling it a "pre-planned" act of sabotage amid political turmoil ahead of the general elections being boycotted by the party. The party's senior Joint Secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi called it an "inhuman brutal atrocity against humanity".
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock and sorrow at the loss of four lives in the Benapole Express train fire. She directed the authorities concerned to investigate whether the fire was an act of sabotage and to take immediate steps for the treatment of injured persons.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen called the arson attacks an assault on the "democratic process and a grave violation on the rights of citizens", adding that innocent passengers were subjected to unimaginable horror in an "act of absolute abomination."
Bangladesh general elections
The incident has taken place ahead of the national elections in Bangladesh. The country is set to vote on Sunday. More than 100 foreign observers, including three from India, have reached Dhaka to monitor the general election.
Led by former prime minister Khalida Zia, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is boycotting the general election as it is demanding an interim non-party neutral government to hold the election. The demand was rejected by the government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is heading the ruling Awami League.
Foreign Ministry officials said a three-member delegation from the Election Commission of India reached Dhaka on Friday while 122 others from different countries were set to be here ahead of the January 7 polls, which the United Nations said would watch closely.
More than 1,500 candidates from 27 political parties are contesting in the election besides 436 independent candidates. A total of 119.6 million registered voters are eligible to vote at Sunday's polls in more than 42,000 polling stations.
Ahead of the elections, Hasina's government arrested tens of thousands of rival politicians and supporters, a move which rights groups have condemned as an attempt to paralyse the Opposition. The country witnessed violent riots as the opposition party demanded a non-party interim government.
(with inputs from PTI)
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