Bangladesh: Five Dead After Fire Engulfs Intercity Train In Dhaka’s Gopibagh

5 individuals died when a passenger prepare caught hearth in Bangladesh on Friday, information company Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. The authorities are suspecting an arson assault amidst political unrest main as much as the boycotted nationwide elections, the report stated. 

Based on Hearth Service and Civil Defence responsibility officer Rakjibul Hasan, the blaze engulfed no less than 4 coaches of the Benapole Specific close to the Gopibagh space of Dhaka, near the town’s main rail terminal, it stated. 

“Now we have recovered 5 our bodies,” acknowledged police commander Khandaker Al Moin throughout a media briefing, as investigations into the incident proceed, as reported by AFP. 

As per the report, eyewitnesses recounted the harrowing scene, revealing that the hearth quickly consumed the prepare, prompting a swift response from close by residents and emergency providers. A rescuer interviewed by non-public broadcaster Somoy TV described the frantic efforts to evacuate passengers from the burning coaches, stating, “We rescued many. However the hearth unfold shortly”.

In a regarding growth, studies indicated that among the many passengers have been Indian residents, though additional particulars stay unclear. Police chief Anwar Hossain expressed suspicions that the hearth might have been an act of “sabotage”, echoing earlier incidents of prepare fires linked to political unrest. 

“We suspect the hearth incident was an act of sabotage,” police chief Anwar Hossain instructed the information company AFP, with out giving extra particulars.

Notably, final month, authorities had attributed one other deadly prepare hearth to the Bangladesh Nationalist Get together (BNP), an opposition group. Nevertheless, the BNP has vehemently denied any involvement, alleging that such accusations function a pretext for the federal government’s crackdown on dissenting voices.

As Bangladesh prepares for nationwide elections scheduled for Sunday, tensions have escalated, with the BNP and a number of other different events opting to boycott what they understand as a “sham” electoral course of. The federal government’s actions, together with the arrest of quite a few opposition activists, have additional strained relations, elevating issues in regards to the stability and equity of the upcoming polls.