Mother, daughter die in Bogura fire

A mother and her 10-year-old daughter have died in a devastating fire in Shikor village under Kahalu upazila in Bogura on Friday morning, May 22.

The deceased have been identified as Sonia Khatun, 29, and her daughter Meha Moni, a third-grade student at a local government primary school.

According to police and local sources, Sonia Khatun was mentally unwell and had been living at her father's house with her daughter for some time.

At the time of the incident, her mother and sister-in-law were cooking in the courtyard when they suddenly noticed fire in Sonia's room. Local residents and fire service brought the fire under control, but Sonia was found dead inside the room.

Meha Moni was rescued in critical condition with severe burns and admitted to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital, where she died around noon.

Hospital Deputy Director Dr Monjur E Morshed said the child had suffered burns to about 80 per cent of her body and could not be saved.

Kahalu Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shafiqul Islam said police have visited the scene. The fire service reported smelling kerosene in the room, leading authorities to suspect that Sonia may have set herself on fire with the intention of suicide. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause.