Staff Reporter :
A cocktail explosion and arson attack took place at the Mymensingh residence of Ummu Uswatun Rafiah, the newly elected member of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU).
Rafiah’s brother Rad filed a case on Thursday evening at the police station under the Explosives Substances Act over the incident.
Earlier, around 3am on Wednesday night, the blast occurred in front of the house’s gate. Family members inside the home noticed the flash and sound of the explosion and quickly rushed outside to extinguish the fire.
According to Rafiah’s family, due to her active role at Dhaka University and in the anti-discrimination movement, Awami League-backed terrorists had long been threatening her and her family. During the movement, seeing Rafiah’s firm stance in anti-fascist activities, a coordinated group deliberately circulated her and her family’s photos, personal information, and the address of their home in Dholadia, Mymensingh Sadar, on social media to incite mob violence and hostility.
After the address was made public, local Awami League supporters began planning attacks on Rafiah’s home.
In this situation, on the night of 19 November, Rafiah’s brother Khandaker Zulkarnaeen Rad filed a complaint at Mymensingh Kotwali Model Police Station, naming journalist Badrul Amin along with five to six unidentified individuals as the accused.
In the complaint, Rad stated that following the recent student movement and the “fall of the fascist Awami League,” Badrul Amin and a terrorist group had been attempting to harm their family in various ways. They had been issuing threats, spreading defamatory information online, and conspiring to create mob attacks by publicizing the family’s home address.
Just a few hours after the complaint was filed, the arson attack and cocktail explosion occurred at their home. After the attack, one of the key accused, Badrul Amin, posted a photo of the complaint on his Facebook account and issued further threats to Rafiah’s family. Under that post, several Awami League-aligned goons again openly called for an attack on Rafiah’s house.
In response to this incident, Rafiah’s brother Rad filed another case today under the Explosives Substances Act.
The family claims that the public posting of their home address and personal information on social media has left them anxious and feeling unsafe.
Al Nur Ayash, central coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement, said, “Rafiah is our July warrior. We have already spoken with the police administration. If the accused are not identified and arrested within 72 hours, we will be forced to initiate a tougher movement.”
Mymensingh Kotwali Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Shibirul Islam said, “The first complaint filed by Rafiah’s brother has been sent to the court seeking permission to register it as an FIR. Further steps will be taken once the court issues its directive.”
He added, “Another case has been accepted under the Explosives Act regarding the arson and cocktail explosion, and an investigation has begun to determine the cause of the incident.”
It is noteworthy that July Movement activists have strongly condemned the attack on social media. They have demanded the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the perpetrators.
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