Grameen Bank branch set on fire with petrol in Brahmanbaria at dead of night

Miscreants broke window glass and set fire to the Chandura branch of Grameen Bank in Bijoynagar upazila of Brahmanbaria by pouring petrol in the small hours of Wednesday. The incident occurred around 2:00 am.

Furniture and documents were burnt in the fire. However, the vault remained untouched and no money was looted. The bank authorities have filed a general diary (GD) with the local police station.

The branch is located in Chandura of Bijoynagar. There is a dormitory behind the branch where the manager and several staff members live.

Chandura branch manager Kalim Uddin told Prothom Alo, “Someone broke a window from outside, poured petrol inside and set it alight around 2:05 am on Wednesday. The security guard noticed the incident and informed us. When we entered, we saw the flames inside the office. Important files, customer passbooks, sheets, furniture and curtains were burnt. With the help of locals, we managed to douse the fire before the fire service arrived.”

He added that a chair had been placed near the kitchen at the back of the bank, and it is believed the arsonists used it to reach the window, break the glass and pour petrol inside before fleeing.

“We have lodged a GD over the incident. The situation is now under control and all staff are working normally,” Kalim Uddin said.

Bijoynagar police station’s officer-in-charge (OC) Shahidul Islam told Prothom Alo that important bank documents and loan papers were damaged in the fire.

“A mosquito coil was found burning at the scene. It is still unclear how the fire started. We are investigating the incident,” he added.