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The ancestral home of Md. Saifullah, organisational secretary of the Jatiya Chhatra Shakti (JCS) Dhaka University (DU) unit, was set on fire in Dhobaura under Mymensingh on Thursday.
The victim's family has accused activists of the banned Awami League (AL) of carrying out the attack. Saifullah's parents, elder brother Zainal Abedin, as well as his wife and two children, live at the family home.
According to Saifullah, the attackers set fire to the kitchen of the house at around 3:10 am. They also attempted to ignite the main house by cutting the tin walls and setting it ablaze. However, the fire in the main house did not spread widely and was extinguished.
Saifullah said he had been receiving death threats for a long time, with the threats intensifying recently. "Although I cannot clearly identify who carried out the attack, there had been no direct threats from local people. However, individuals, believed to be fugitive AL members, have been sending threats through Facebook posts, Messenger and WhatsApp regarding several recent issues."
He claimed that after the incident he received messages on WhatsApp and Messenger, saying, "We set fire to your house; luckily you were not there. Your children survived."
Saifullah added that he is deeply concerned about the safety of his family and planning to take legal action over the incident.
In protest of the attack, JCS leaders and activists brought out a demonstration on the DU campus at around 5:30 am on Friday. The procession began at VC Chattar, marched through several key roads of the campus, and concluded with a brief rally at the base of Raju Sculpture.
At the rally, JCS President Tahmid Al Muddassir Chowdhury alleged that AL activists have been active even after the August 5 political changes. He also alleged that some local BNP leaders are reopening Awami League offices at many places for securing their votes in the upcoming elections and are delaying action against them.
Abdul Kader, former coordinator, urged the government to take firm action against those responsible for the attack and to bring the individuals associated with the incidents before August 5 and the July killings to justice.
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