Five members of the same family sustained severe burn injuries on Saturday afternoon after a man set fire to his own residence following a domestic dispute in Old Dhaka’s Sutrapur area. The victims were rushed to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, where medical staff confirmed that all five remain in critical condition.
The incident occurred at a residential premises in Shyambazar, under the jurisdiction of Sutrapur Police Station. According to preliminary reports from local authorities and witnesses, a youth identified as Emon Siddique poured petrol inside his room during an argument and ignited it. The flames spread rapidly through the enclosed space, trapping and engulfing other family members present inside the house.
Neighbours alerted by the smoke and commotion managed to extinguish the blaze and rescue the victims. All five individuals were brought to the emergency unit of the burn institute on Saturday evening.
The injured have been identified as Siddique, 35; his son Emon, 25, who allegedly set the fire; his nephews Rajib, 35, and Dulu Miah, 34; and his niece Tania, 18.
Dr Sultan Mahmud, a resident surgeon at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, stated that all five patients were admitted with extensive burn injuries and compromised airways. Medical assessments revealed that one of the victims suffered burns covering 98 per cent of his body, making his condition extremely critical, whilst the remaining four also sustained severe full-thickness burns.
Officers from Sutrapur Police Station inspected the scene shortly after the incident was reported. Local law enforcement has launched an investigation to establish the exact sequence of events leading to the dispute, as well as how the petrol was acquired. Formal legal proceedings regarding the incident are currently underway.
