Seven houses were gutted as miscreants set fire to two houses of Hindu families in Nirisingho village of Nilphamari’s Lakhichap union yesterday.
Two people were detained by the locals for their alleged involvement with the incident. They were later handed over to police.
The two arrestees were a woman named Joygun and Aminul.
According to the witnesses, the miscreants had set fire to five houses of Tailakha Roy. The fire later spread to two more houses of neighbour Subol Chandra Roy, gutting all of them.
Locals alleged that miscreants had tried to set fire to Hindu houses several times in the last 15-20 days. They said a general diary was also filed but the police did not take any action.
Describing the incident, Tailakha Roy said: “Miscreants set fire to my house when I was out looking after the cow.”
Liton Chandra Roy, an eye-witness, said: “I was working at the house of a neighbour. Seeing the fire at Tailakha’s houses, I rushed to the spot and found three women and a man fleeing.”
Nilphamari sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Shajahan Pasha said: “We are not yet clear on how the incident took place. The victims are preparing to file a case and after that steps would be taken for investigation."
Regarding the earlier filed GD, the OC said a general diary was filed but it did not mention any name.
Apart from Joygun and Aminul, the woman’s husband was also in police custody, the OC added.
Sub-Inspector Asaduzzaman Asad of the same police station said the incident might have been pre-planned.