Son accused of setting father’s house ablaze in Chandpur

An alleged drug-addicted man set fire to his elderly father’s house in Chandpur’s Shahrasti upazila early on Saturday, forcing the occupants to flee to safety before the blaze gutted the dwelling.

The incident occurred at Daibari in Naora village under Ward No. 12 of the upazila.

According to locals, Monir Hossain Babu allegedly set fire to the house while his father, Abdul Momin, 60, Monir’s wife and their two children were asleep. They managed to escape unharmed after rushing out of the house.

Witnesses said Monir shouted, immediately after setting the house ablaze before fleeing the scene.

The fire destroyed the dwelling and all household belongings within about half an hour before firefighters from the Shahrasti Fire Service, led by Station Officer Naser Reza Nilu, brought the blaze under control.

Since the incident, Abdul Momin, Monir’s wife and their two children have been staying at neighbours’ houses and are living in fear.

Fearing further attacks, Abdul Momin filed a case with Shahrasti Model Police Station, alleging that his son had repeatedly assaulted and threatened family members, including his own wife, after they refused to give him money to buy drugs.

According to the complaint, Monir had assaulted his wife in front of a local shop on Friday evening. Police responded to the incident and warned him.

Family members alleged that, angered by the police intervention, Monir set fire to the house at around 3:30 am while everyone was asleep.
He has remained absconding since the incident.

Relatives and neighbours said Monir had been addicted to drugs for a long time and frequently assaulted family members when they refused to give him money. They also alleged that he had repeatedly threatened to kill them.

They said several village arbitration meetings had been held with local elders in an attempt to reform him, but the efforts failed.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shahrasti Model Police Station Mir Mahbubur Rahman said police had assured the victim of all necessary assistance.