A local office of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in Rupganj upazila of Narayanganj was allegedly set on fire in the early hours of the morning following the BNP’s resounding victory in the general election held on February 12, according to local media.
According to The Daily Star, Officer-in-Charge Shabzel Hossain of the Rupganj Police Station stated that the incident happened at approximately 3:45 am on Saturday in the Shimulia Bazar neighborhood.
Before starting the fire, unknown criminals broke a window and threw “petrol or similar stuff” inside. Two people have been named as suspects by police, and the investigation is still ongoing.
Mansur Mia, head of the Rupganj union Jubo Dal, gave background information on the targeted premises, stating that the office’s construction had started around a month ago and was finished about a week ago.
He claimed that the fire started early in the morning on Friday after party leaders and activists had stayed there till midnight.
Despite damage to furniture and other items within, The Daily Star reported that residents assisted in putting out the fire. “We assume it was a petrol bomb,” said Mansur Mia. The fire would not have spread so rapidly otherwise.
Upazila BNP General Secretary Bashir Uddin Bacchu raised the possibility that members of opposing political parties were responsible for the attack amid conjecture on the motivation.
Local BNP leaders are drafting a formal written complaint, according to OC Shabzel Hossain, who also stated that “Necessary legal action would be taken following investigation once a complaint is submitted.”
Days after the BNP, led by Chairperson Tarique Rahman, won a resounding majority in the 300-seat parliament in the February 12 election, there was an arson incident. It was the first voting since the large-scale demonstrations in 2024 that overthrew longtime leader Sheikh Hasina.
About 59% of voters cast ballots, making Rahman the prime minister-designate. The Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami combine was the primary opposition. The BNP acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory message on X after the results.
In addition to thanking him for acknowledging Rahman’s leadership, the party reaffirmed its dedication to democratic principles, inclusiveness, and forward-thinking growth, and it looked forward to positive interactions with India.
PM Modi had earlier expressed his sincere congratulations to Rahman on X, highlighting the public’s faith in his ability to lead and India’s backing for a democratic, forward-thinking Bangladesh in an effort to deepen bilateral relations.
Tuesday afternoon is the anticipated oath-taking ceremony for the newly elected BNP-led administration at the National Parliament’s South Plaza during the political transition.
According to Prothom Alo, Muhammad Yunus, the interim government’s chief adviser, has invited leaders from 13 nations to attend the swearing-in ceremony: China, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives, and Bhutan.
On Saturday, BNP leader ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milan said he hoped PM Modi will be invited.
He emphasized the party’s inclusive foreign policy of “friends to all, malice to none” and explained that including regional leaders is just a question of common decency.
