Three Die After Arson Attack Follows Murder

Three individuals have succumbed to severe burn injuries at a specialised hospital in Dhaka following an arson attack in the Pabna Sadar Upazila. The incident occurred when an angry mob set fire to the residences of suspects accused of raping and murdering a 15-year-old girl, Riya Khatun.

The Murder of Riya Khatun

The unrest began following the discovery of Riya Khatun’s body on Wednesday, 3 June. Her remains were retrieved from a sack floating in the Padma River in the Pirpur area of the Bharara Union, Pabna.

Following a post-mortem examination, her burial took place in her family graveyard on 4 June. Immediately after the funeral, an agitated crowd gathered and set fire to the homes of the murder suspects.

Gas Cylinder Explosion and Casualties

During the arson attack, a domestic cooking gas cylinder inside one of the houses exploded with significant force. The explosion caused flames to scatter widely across the immediate vicinity. The dispersing fire caught several onlookers, neighbours, and individuals who had approached the scene to extinguish the initial blaze.

The victims sustained severe burns and were initially taken to Pabna General Hospital by local residents. Due to the critical nature of their conditions, they were subsequently transferred to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka for advanced medical treatment.

Details of the Deceased

According to official medical and police records, the three casualties were local residents rather than suspects in the underlying murder case. The details of the deceased are structured below:

Police Investigation and Administrative Actions

Tariqul Islam, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Pabna Sadar Police Station, confirmed the timeline of the fatalities at the Dhaka institute. He stated that formal legal proceedings regarding the arson attack and the resulting deaths are currently being processed by the police department.

The police specified that none of the suspects or their immediate family members were present in the houses at the time of the fire, having fled to avoid potential mob violence or police detention. Consequently, all those injured or killed in the explosion were neighbouring residents and curious onlookers.

Regarding the primary criminal case, the police have arrested three individuals in connection with the rape and murder of Riya Khatun, including the principal suspect, identified as Naim. The arrested individuals have since confessed to raping and strangling the teenager, and their formal statements have been recorded in court.