Three government offices in Rajshahi have come under attack within 48 hours, and police described those as attempts to weaken the government.
The attackers could not be identified in either of the incidents but police claimed that blockaders had carried out those.
The record room of the land office in Bagha upazila and the secondary education office, both located in the same building, were set on fire yesterday. A large number of land documents and around 500 new textbooks were gutted in the fire.
Bagha Upazila Nirbahi Officer Badol Chandra Howladar claimed that blockaders had torched the offices but police said it might be an accident.
Badol told the Dhaka Tribune that the attackers broke the windows and used matchsticks to light the fire.
The security guard of the building, Abdul Mannan, said he heard a sound early in the morning and later saw smokes coming out of the windows.
Firefighters arrived on the scene shortly and doused the flame with the help of locals, he added.
Bagha police station Officer-in-Charge Aminur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune the fire might have originated from a short circuit.
“Blockaders could be responsible for the attack as well,” he said.
“Police detained a number of employees of the offices and also some locals for interrogation but later released them. We are trying to nab the attackers,” added the policeman.
Early in the morning on February 24, the survey room of Charghat land office was gutted in a fire, reducing huge documents to ashes.
It was an arson attack and the attackers set the room on fire by breaking windows, which resembled yesterday's attack.
Charghat police station Officer-in-Charge Alamgir Hossian said a case was filed in connection with the attack but none could be arrested as yet.
Rajshahi Additional Police Super SM Rashidul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune that arson attacks on government offices were alarming.
“We are looking into such incidents very seriously and instructions have been given to every police station to take steps for preventing this sort of subversive acts,” he added.
