Police have arrested three employees in connection with a planned fire at the Primary Education Directorate’s store room in Mirpur. The incident took place early Friday when a cleaner, Asmaul Islam, allegedly set fire to the facility while wearing a burqa to conceal his identity.
According to police, the act was carried out under a contract worth Tk 5 lakh, of which Tk 80,000 was paid in advance.
Massive Damage to Government Property
The fire broke out in a second-floor store room containing 735 laptops, which were stored for distribution at field level.
- 140 laptops completely burned
- 29 laptops severely damaged
- 33 laptops partially damaged
- 450 laptops remained intact
- Whereabouts of 83 laptops remain unknown
Police, however, stated that CCTV footage shows no evidence of any laptops being removed.
Police Statement
Deputy Commissioner of Mirpur Division, Mostak Sarkar, said:
“The fire was set deliberately to damage stored laptops and equipment. Initial estimates suggest a loss of Tk 2–3 crore.”
He added that investigators are working to determine whether others were involved in the planning, and suspects will be remanded for intensive interrogation.
Investigation and Motive
Authorities are examining whether the incident is linked to:
- Corruption in laptop procurement
- Or an attempt to hide audit-related information
The burqa used in the incident was reportedly purchased from a shop in Mirpur-1, according to investigators.
Legal Action
A case was filed by Assistant Director Sajjad Hossain of the Directorate of Primary Education with Mirpur Police Station. Fire Service personnel later brought the blaze under control after breaking into the locked store room.
Officials confirmed that A/C units, stored laptops, and other materials were heavily damaged.
Ongoing Political and Administrative Fallout
- The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Mirpur Police Station has been withdrawn amid allegations of negligence and previous complaints
- Earlier accusations against the OC included alleged bribery and failure to assist in legal cases
Police say the investigation is ongoing to identify the full network behind the planned arson attack.
