Unidentified attackers set a passenger train on fire in the Bangladeshi capital, killing at least four people, including a woman and her minor son. The attack occurred amidst the political unrest surrounding the January 7 elections and coincided with a nationwide stoppage called by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) as part of their campaign to boycott the polls. This arson attack on the train is the fifth in the past month but the deadliest in terms of casualties. The miscreants set fire to three compartments of the Dhaka-bound inter-district Mohanganj Express shortly after the train left the Airport Railway Station.

The train was stopped at the next stop at Tejgaon station where the fire was extinguished, and four bodies were recovered. Two individuals remain unidentified. The ruling Awami League, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has emerged as the prime contender in the absence of the BNP, which has boycotted the January 7 polls due to their demands for a no-party caretaker government to organize the voting not being met. The BNP has instigated violence and protests to contest the polls, and there have been allegations of widespread rigging and intimidation in previous elections.

Tensions have continued to escalate, with the BNP calling for a resignation of the government to pave the way for an interim non-party neutral government for polls oversight. The Election Commission announced the polls schedule on November 15, and these ongoing political unrest has prompted the deployment of the Army ahead of the January 7 elections to maintain order. Over 10,000 opposition leaders and activists have been arrested, and there are widespread concerns about the fairness and safety of the upcoming election.