Fire breaks out at ward councillor's office in Dhaka’s Mirpur

Two firefighting units put out the flames in 10 minutes, authorities say

A fire has ripped through a ward councillor's office in Dhaka’s Mirpur amid political unrest fuelled by the nationwide blockades called by the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

The incident occurred around 6:15 am on Friday, and two firefighting units put out the flames within 10 minutes.

The incident damaged a computer and a few documents, the fire service said.

“The fire was reported at the councillor's office in ward No.9 near the Eidgah ground under Darus-Salam Police Station,” said Talha Bin Jasim, a Fire Service Control Room officer.

Authorities could not confirm the cause of the fire immediately. No casualties were reported in the incident.

The lead-up to the 12th national elections has been fraught with tensions as the BNP, the country's largest opposition group, has been enforcing several rounds of transport blockades to protest the police crackdown against its antigovernment rally on Oct 28.

The party's long-time ally Jamaat-e-Islami has been initiating similar programmes separately.

Daily reports of vehicle arson and clashes have marked the ongoing blockades, raising concerns about public safety.

Arsonists torched at least 16 vehicles across the country during the third nationwide blockade called by the BNP and Jamaat, the fire service said.