Expat who ‘set himself, family on fire’ dies of burns

An expatriate worker who relatives say poured petrol on himself and four members of his family before setting them alight following a dispute in Old Dhaka has died of his injuries.

Md Emon, 26, had been receiving treatment at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery with burns covering 90 percent of his body.

He died around noon on Sunday, according to Sultan Mahmud, a resident surgeon at the institute.

Emon, who worked in Saudi Arabia, suffered the burns at his home in the Chamartuli area of Shyambazar in Sutrapur on Saturday afternoon.

Four other members of his family were also burnt and remain in hospital.

They are Emon’s father Siddique Bepari, 60, his cousin Rajib, 38, Arifur Rahman Dhalu, 35, and Tania Akhter, 20.

Relatives said Emon had returned from Saudi Arabia on Friday amid a family dispute.

Sonia Akhter, the wife of Arifur, said on Saturday that the dispute began after Tania and Emon’s sister Sultana argued over stagnant dirty water in front of their ancestral home.

“When Tania asked her to clear the stagnant water, Sultana informed her brother Emon, who was in Saudi Arabia, about the matter. Emon returned home yesterday after receiving the news,” Sonia said.

According to Sonia, Emon threatened to kill the others on Saturday afternoon, saying: “I will die too, and I will kill you.”

She said he then poured petrol on himself and the others and set them alight.

All five were rescued and taken to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

Sultan said Tania suffered burns to 60 percent of her body, Siddique 35 percent, Rajib 15 percent and Arifur 8 percent.

Rajib works as a mechanic at National Hospital, while Arifur is an electrician and Tania is an undergraduate student at Women’s College in Old Dhaka.