Petrol Bomb Attack Alleged at Student Activist’s Home in Habiganj; Police Suspect Electrical Short Circuit

An allegation has been raised that petrol bombs were thrown at the home of Mahdi Hasan, member secretary of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s Habiganj district unit. However, police say they found no evidence of a petrol bomb attack during an inspection of the scene. Their preliminary assessment is that the fire may have started due to an electrical short circuit.

The incident occurred at around 12:30 am on Friday night, November 13, in West Bhadai village of Gopaya Union under Habiganj Sadar Upazila.

In a Facebook Live broadcast shortly after midnight, Mahdi Hasan alleged that unidentified attackers threw two petrol bombs in succession at the tin roof of their home. He further claimed that another petrol bomb was thrown at the electrical meter of the house belonging to his younger uncle, Anwar Ali. The meter was burned in the incident.

Mahdi Hasan said the family had finished dinner and was preparing to go to sleep when they suddenly heard two loud bangs on the tin roof of their home. A short while later, they noticed a fire at the electrical meter of his uncle’s house. Family members and local residents then came out and saw that the meter had been burned.

Habiganj Sadar Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Zahidul Haque said a battery-powered rickshaw is charged from the electrical meter at the uncle’s house, located in front of Mahdi’s home. He said the preliminary assumption was that the fire had originated from an electrical short circuit in that meter.