Jubo League leader, 5 family members burnt in arson

A local Jubo League leader and at least five of his family members suffered serious burn injuries after alleged cadres of the JCD (Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal) set fire to his house at Rajpasha of Shakherhat union under Jhalakathi district in the early hours of yesterday.

Shakherhat union Jubo League President Saidur Rahman Khan Swapan, 35, who was taken to hospital in a critical condition, said the arson attack was apparently carried out as a sequel to his enmity with the local BNP.

Swapan's mother Rowshan Ara alias Rani Begum, 65, wife Rehana Begum, 30, son Fahad, 5, sister Chhabi Begum, 25, and her son Maruf, 4, are also under treatment at Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.

Condition of Rani and Fahad is serious, doctors said.

Police quoting eyewitnesses said the attackers cordoned off the house, locked its doors from outside and poured gasoline all over it before setting it on fire.

Swapan's neighbours rushed to the spot after seeing the flames and rescued the trapped victims. The attackers left a banner of the so-called Santrash Nirmul Committee (Committee for uprooting terrorism) at the scene.

Local people said Swapan had enmity with local Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leader Hassan, a notorious criminal of Jhalakathi accused in several cases including murder.

They said he leads a criminal group called Hassan Bahini and is loyal to Jhalakathi district Jubo Dal President Mir Ziauddin Mizan.

In 2000, Hassan allegedly murdered a local woman Anwara Begum and falsely implicated Swapan and five others in a murder case.

But Swapan and the others were released from jail about two months ago after being exonerated from the murder charges following an investigation by the CID (Criminal Investigation Department).

Instead, the CID this time filed a murder case against Hassan -- plaintiff of the original case -- and his seven associates. All the eight accused have gone into hiding after the case was filed.

Sources in the police said the arson attack could be in revenge for the reversal of events leading to Hassan's incrimination in the murder.

Police said Swapan, the Jubo League leader, is also accused in a number of criminal cases.

Local administration officials visited the spot. No case was registered till filing of this report last night.

This is the second arson attack in 48 hours after robbers in Chittagong's Banshkhali burnt to death 11 members of a Hindu family in the early hours of Wednesday.