Four killed, several injured after train set on fire in Bangladesh ahead of elections

Four individuals lost their lives, and numerous others sustained injuries when a passenger train, departing from the port town of Benapole along the India border, was intentionally set ablaze by suspected arsonists in the national capital. This tragic incident occurred on Friday, just two days before Bangladesh's general elections, which have been boycotted by the primary opposition party, the BNP, according to officials.

The incident happened around 9 pm when four carriages of the Benapole Express that runs from Benapole, a town bordering the Indian state of West Bengal, were set on fire as it nearly reached its destination of the capital's Kamalapur Railway Station. So far we have found four bodies searches are still underway, Shahjahan Shikdar, the spokesman of Fire Service and Civil Defence, told newsmen at the scene.

Railway authorities reported that a majority of the train's approximately 292 passengers were returning from India when the incident occurred. The train was deliberately set on fire at 9 PM as it approached the Gopibagh area near the station, according to officials.

#WATCH | A passenger train was set on fire in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka yesterday (January 5) ahead of the country's general election this weekend.

At least four people died aboard the intercity train, reports Reuters quoting local newspaper Dhaka Tribune.

(Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/FoFZVsqZ6u

— ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2024

During the rescue efforts, an account from a local youth shared with private broadcaster Jamuna TV revealed a poignant moment. While attempting to extract a middle-aged man through a train window, he insisted that rescuers prioritize saving his wife and children inside. Tragically, the fire swiftly consumed the man, leading to his unfortunate demise shortly thereafter.

As Bangladesh gears up for Sunday's polls, over 100 foreign observers, including three from India, have arrived in Dhaka to oversee the general election proceedings. Notably, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former prime minister Khalida Zia, has opted to boycott the electoral process. The BNP's stance stems from its demand for the formation of an interim non-party neutral government to conduct the election.