Bangladesh poll booths burn on election eve, as train arson kills four January 05, 2024 at 10:23PM

Polling booths were set ablaze in Bangladesh on the eve of Sunday's general elections, while four people, two children among them, were killed in a train fire that the government decried as arson targeting democratic values. Friday's fire broke out at about 9 p.m. injuring eight passengers as it spread to four compartments of the Benapole Express headed for the capital, Dhaka. "The timing of this tragedy, just a day before the election ... shows an absolute intention to hinder the festivity, safety and security of the democratic processes of the country," Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen said.