Bangladesh’s Benapole Express Train Fire: CID, forensic teams start gathering evidence

After arsonists set fire to an intercity Benapole Express train in Gopibagh, the Bangladesh CID, along with a forensic team, arrived at the Kamlapur Railway station, where the railway coaches are being shifted for the investigation. The CID is gathering evidence from the train that was set on fire.

The pre-poll violence occurred on January 5 at around 9:05 pm, killed four people. Officials called the incident a “planned attack.” The CID team collected DNA samples from the relatives of the victims to identify the bodies, Bangladesh-based The Dhaka Tribune reported.

However, the victims could not be identified yet. Reportedly, seven firefighting units were brought in to control the fire, according to the duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, Rakibul Hasan, The Dhaka Tribune reported.

Following the incident, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Mahid Uddin alleged that the Benapole Express train fire was a “planned attack.” The incident happened just two days ahead of Bangladesh’s general elections.

“We cannot say for sure who carried out the arson attack but it is sabotage for sure,” he said. The official added that those who carried out the attack will be brought under the law. “Such behaviour towards common people, children and women is inhumane,” he said.

He further said that the people who committed the crime might have disguised themselves as passengers, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune. Moreover, Ashraf Hossain, sub-inspector of Dhaka Railway Police Station, said that they received a fire report from the emergency service number around 9:07 pm. However, police officials are still fearing that people could be trapped inside the train.

Last month, the police and Government blamed the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for another train fire that left four people dead. The BNP rejected involvement in that incident, saying it had been unfairly blamed as a pretext for a Government crackdown on Opposition parties. Bangladesh will vote in national elections Sunday but the BNP have boycotted what they have described as a “sham” vote.

BNP also issued a call for a 48-hour nationwide ‘hartal’ (general strike) commencing on Saturday ahead of the January 7 general elections.

(with inputs from ANI)