A devastating arson attack claimed the life of seven-year-old Ayesha Akter in the early hours of Saturday when unknown assailants targeted the tin-shed residence of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader and businessman Belal Hossain in Bhabaniganj Union of Lakshmipur Sadar upazila, locking the family inside before setting the structure ablaze.

The perpetrators secured both doors from the outside and doused the house with petrol before igniting it, trapping Belal Hossain, his wife Nazma, and their children in the rapidly spreading flames that engulfed the home around 1 am, resulting in horrific burns for multiple family members.

Belal Hossain sustained severe injuries and remains under intensive treatment at Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital, while his teenage daughters—16-year-old Salma Akter and 14-year-old Samia Akter—suffered critical burns over 50-60 percent of their bodies and were immediately transferred to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka for specialized life-saving care.

Also Read: Indian Diplomatic Facilities Placed Under Heightened Security Across Bangladesh

Eyewitness accounts from the family's grandmother, Hazera Begum, describe waking to the sight of flames through a window, rushing outside only to find the doors locked externally, helplessly watching as Belal eventually broke through one door to escape with his wife Nazma carrying their four-month-old infant Abir and six-year-old son Habib, though the three older daughters remained trapped longer in the inferno.

This brutal incident underscores a sharp escalation in targeted violence across Bangladesh, reflecting a deepening breakdown in law and order under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, with authorities launching investigations into the motive and perpetrators behind the attack on the opposition BNP figure's household.

Also Read: TMC Files Police Complaint Against BJP IT Cell Chief Over Bangladesh–Bengal Comparison