The temporary district office of the National Citizen Party (NCP) in Bogura was set on fire late on Wednesday night. The office was locked at the time. A video of the incident has circulated on social media.
The NCP’s Bogura district office is located beside Altafunnesa Playground in the city. The video shows a fire suddenly breaking out in front of the locked office in the darkness of night. The flames died out within seconds. The fire damaged a banner hanging above the office entrance and left black marks on the shutter.
Bogura Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Ibrahim Ali said preparations were under way to file a case over the arson attack. Police had collected video footage and were trying to identify those involved, he added.
The party held a press conference at the office on Thursday afternoon to condemn the incident. NCP leaders alleged that miscreants had deliberately set fire to the office after pouring petrol on it under cover of darkness.
At the press conference, MSA Mahmud, convener of the NCP’s Bogura district unit, said party leaders and activists had locked the office and left at around 11:30pm on Wednesday after completing their activities.
At some point during the night, miscreants poured petrol on the office and set it on fire, he alleged. Banners and festoons displayed outside the office were burned, but the furniture inside remained intact. The incident had been reported to the local administration and the party’s central leaders, he said.
Mahmud described the arson attack on a political party’s office as deeply concerning. He said that differences in political views and ideology could not justify setting fires or attempting to obstruct political activities through intimidation, adding that such actions had no place in a democratic culture.
He called on law enforcement agencies to conduct a fair and impartial investigation, identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
The press conference also emphasised that tolerance, reason, mutual respect and accountability to the public were the foundations of politics. Violence, arson and intimidation could not suppress people's democratic rights and political freedoms, the statement said.
The party called for the security of political party offices, leaders, activists and ordinary citizens to be ensured in Bogura and across the country. It also urged political disputes to be resolved through peaceful and democratic means.