DHAKA: In the lead-up to Sunday’s controversial national election, Bangladesh police arrested seven members of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in connection with an alleged pre-election arson attack on the Benapole Express.
The commuter train fire, which claimed four lives and left eight critically injured, adds to a series of incidents targeting railway services. The BNP, along with several opposition parties, is boycotting the election, labeling it a “sham” aimed at consolidating Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s rule.
Police identified Nabiullah Nabi, a senior BNP official, as the mastermind behind the attack and arrested six other party activists in Dhaka. The BNP vehemently denies responsibility for the fires, characterizing them as “pre-planned acts of sabotage” orchestrated by the government to discredit the non-violent movement.
Election Related Violence in Bangladesh
The election-related violence has seen at least 15 fatalities, prompting the BNP to call for a general strike over the weekend in protest of the upcoming poll. Authorities have tightened security measures, with 32 passenger trains suspended temporarily to enhance the safety of passengers.
Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen condemned the train fire as an “unforgivable crime against humanity,” emphasizing the intention to disrupt the democratic process. Prime Minister Hasina is poised for a fifth consecutive term, and the election has drawn criticism for its perceived one-sided nature. Opposition parties had demanded Hasina’s resignation in favor of a neutral caretaker government to oversee the election, a proposal that was rejected.
