Minority man dies in Bangladesh fire; probe underway

Dhaka: A Hindu man died in a blaze at a car repair workshop in Bangladesh while he was sleeping after an unidentified person was seen lighting a fire outside the premises, police said on Sunday.

However, it was not yet clear whether the incident that took place in Narsingdi district on Friday was intentional or accidental, and an investigation was underway to ascertain the cause of the fire, police said.

The victim has been identified as 25-year-old Chanchal Bhowmik, Narsingdi Superintendent of Police Abdullah Al Faruq told PTI.

The incident occurred when he was asleep inside the workshop.

“A case has been filed, and an investigation is underway into the death of Bhowmik,” Faruq said.

He said police obtained video footage from the area showing an unidentified man lighting a fire using straw to keep warm on a winter night, which later spread into the workshop.

“The face of the man is not clear, but the footage shows he remained there for a long time,” Faruq said, adding that efforts are on to identify and trace the person.

Meanwhile, leaders of the Hindu community, including Bangladesh Puja Celebration Council President Bashudeb Dhar, said they are examining the incident and would comment after a thorough review.