SAD leader Mahdi alleges petrol bomb attack on uncle’s house in Habiganj; police suspect electricity metre overload

Mahdi Hasan, member secretary of the Habiganj district committee of the Students Against Discrimination, has alleged that petrol bombs were hurled at his uncle’s house, while police suspect the fire may have been caused by an overloaded electricity metre.

Mahdi took to his Facebook Live around 12:30am on Friday (November 13) and claimed that two petrol bombs were first thrown at the tin roof of the house. Another bomb was later hurled at the electricity metre.

In the video, he was seen calling on neighbours to gather at the spot and describing the incident. The footage also showed the electricity metre at the house on fire.

Upon receiving information, police from Habiganj Sadar Model Police Station went to the scene.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sadar Model Police Station Md Jahidul Haque said the house belonged to Mahdi's uncle. He said the electricity metre was installed in a tin-roofed room where several auto-rickshaws were charged.

"The metre may have caught fire due to an overload," he said, adding that police were nevertheless investigating the matter.

The incident came to light just two days after a fire broke out around 12:20am on Thursday at National Citizen Party (NCP) MP Nusrat Tabassum’s house in Kushtia. Five rooms were gutted, and two goats were killed in the blaze.

Tabassum alleged that Awami League supporters carried out a petrol bomb attack. She filed an attempted murder case with Daulatpur Police Station against eight named individuals and 25 to 30 unidentified people. However, police and firefighters reported finding no evidence of petrol bombs or explosives at the scene.

Meanwhile, Opposition lawmakers accused the government of using an electrical short-circuit explanation to cover up its failure to maintain law and order.