Narsingdi, Oct 29 (V7N) – A woman and her teenage son have died after a man allegedly poured petrol and set fire to his sleeping family members in Narsingdi, following a long-standing domestic dispute.
 
The victims, identified as Rina Begum (38) and her son Forhad (15), succumbed to their injuries at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka—Rina at around 9:15 a.m. and Forhad at noon on Tuesday, according to Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime) Sujan Chandra Sarkar.
 
Doctors confirmed that Rina sustained 58 percent burns and Forhad 40 percent burns. Their bodies have been sent to the hospital morgue for autopsy.
 
Rina’s younger son Tawhid (7), who suffered 16 percent burns, remains under treatment. Three others—Jihad (24), Salma Begum (34), and Arafat (15)—were treated and released after receiving primary care.
 
Police said the accused, Farid Mia (44), a pickup truck driver from the Ghoradia area in Chinishpur Union, had fled the scene after setting the fire. He was later arrested from the Baraicha area of Raipura on Saturday night with the help of local residents.
 
The incident occurred around 3 a.m. last Wednesday, when Farid reportedly entered his in-laws’ house while they were asleep, doused Rina, their three sons, and two relatives with petrol, and set them on fire before locking the door from outside. Neighbors broke in to rescue the victims and alerted police through the national emergency helpline 999.
 
The victims were first taken to Narsingdi Sadar Hospital, and five of them were later transferred to the burn institute in Dhaka for advanced treatment.
 
Police said the couple had been experiencing ongoing marital disputes, which prompted Rina to leave her husband’s house and move in with her parents along with their children.
 
Following the attack, Rina’s mother Hosna Begum filed a case naming Farid Mia as the sole accused. Authorities confirmed that the case, initially filed as an attempted murder case, will now be upgraded to a murder case following the deaths of Rina and Forhad.
 
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