A teenage girl has died after being set on fire in Babuganj Upazila of Barishal, with allegations that the attack followed her refusal of a romantic proposal. The incident occurred on March 15, and the survivor later died while undergoing treatment in Dhaka.
The deceased, Raisa Akter, was the daughter of Nazrul Howlader, a day laborer. According to her father, Raisa had gone out of her home on the day of the incident when the accused boy, from the same locality, allegedly approached her with a proposal described as romantic or indecent. An altercation reportedly followed, during which the accused set her on fire.
Witnesses stated that Raisa screamed as she was burned, prompting locals to rush to the scene and extinguish the fire. One eyewitness, Taslim, reported seeing flames during the argument and said the accused fled immediately after the incident. Raisa’s father alleged that the boy had been harassing his daughter for some time, though the family became aware of this only after the attack.
Raisa was first admitted to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital with severe burn injuries. Due to her critical condition, she was transferred to Dhaka on the same night, where she later died while receiving treatment.
The accused boy’s father denied the allegations, claiming his son was elsewhere at the time and describing the accusations as fabricated. Police confirmed that they have verified the incident after visiting the scene and are working to apprehend the accused. As of Monday, no formal case had been filed, though Raisa’s father is expected to file a complaint.
Source: Bangla Tribune
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