A 55-year-old woman and her 32-year-old son died in Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Saturday hours after being burnt in their house at Goran in the capital, hospital sources said.
The mother, Aleya Begum, who worked as principal officer at the Motijheel branch of the Janata Bank, was wounded on Friday night when she went to save her only son, Muhammad Ali Jewel, a mobile shop owner, as he tried to commit suicide by setting himself on fire with petrol after an altercation with his parents, the family said.
Aleya died in the burn and plastic surgery unit at the hospital about 5:30am Saturda. Her son died about 11:30am, the hospital sources said.
Aleya’s husband Abdul Hye Bhuiyan, 65, and her daughter-in-law Fatematuj Johora Khuku, 28, were also wounded in the incident that took place about 9:30pm in the house at Shantipur.
‘Abdul Hye and Khuku were wounded when they tried to save others,’ neighbour Shaharul Islam told New Age.
Shaharul, also one of Jewel’s friends, said Abdul Hye had been worried as his son was yet to settle in a profession and he had asked his son not to waste money.
On the day Hye scolded his son over paying of a taxi bill and Jewel felt offended. He then set himself on fire by pouring petrol over him, Shaharul said quoting Jewel’s father.
Shaharul said he along with other friends rescued them and took them to the hospital.
The hospital sources said Khuku, who had about 65 per cent of her body surface burnt, was on Saturday taken to the intensive care unit as her condition deteriorated and Abdul Hye was discharged after treatment.
Jewel’s 10-year-old son Maheen and other house helps were unharmed as they could escape the scene after the incident, the family said.
The police investigation officer, ABM Faroque Alam, said they had filed a case with the Khilgaon police.
‘The incident took place as Jewel set himself on fire after an altercation with his parents,’ he suspected.
Their namaz-e-janaja was held at Shantipur on Saturday evening.
