A disturbing act of arson has claimed the life of a young mechanic in Narsingdi, after a mysterious individual ignited a blaze and remained at the scene to watch it burn. The victim, Chanchal Bhowmik (25), was discovered charred beyond recognition inside a vehicle repair garage in the Dogoria area of Shilmandi Union, situated adjacent to the Narsingdi Police Lines.
Table of Contents
A Fatal Midnight Inferno
The incident occurred during the early hours of Saturday, 24 January 2026. Chanchal, a native of Lakshmipur village in Comilla, had been a dedicated employee at the garage for several years. Following his Friday shift, he had retired to sleep inside the workshop. At approximately 1:40 am, an unidentified male was captured on surveillance footage piling oil-soaked rags and debris against the garage’s entrance before setting them alight.
Given the presence of volatile accelerants such as petrol and lubricants within the premises, the fire intensified almost instantly. Trapped behind locked shutters, Chanchal was unable to escape the inferno. Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control by 4:00 am, but by then, only the victim’s remains were found among the wreckage.
Chronology of the Narsingdi Garage Fatality
| Time (approx.) | Event Description |
| 01:40 AM | Suspect arrives; begins piling debris against the garage shutter. |
| 01:45 AM | Fire is ignited; suspect remains at the scene watching the flames. |
| 01:45 – 03:00 AM | Suspect observed eating snacks while sitting near the fire. |
| 04:00 AM | Fire Service arrives and extinguishes the blaze. |
| 06:00 AM | Discovery of Chanchal Bhowmik’s charred remains. |
| Evening | Post-mortem concluded; body handed over to grieving relatives. |
Bizarre Behaviour Captured on Camera
The investigation, led by A.R.M. Al Mamun, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Narsingdi Sadar Model Thana, has focused on the unsettling CCTV footage. The suspect did not flee after starting the fire; instead, he stayed for roughly 80 minutes. During this window, he was seen casually eating bread and other food items while the garage was engulfed in flames.
“The individual appears to be mentally unstable based on his actions,” OC Al Mamun stated. “He remained there as if he did not comprehend the consequences of the fire. We are working tirelessly to identify and apprehend him.”
Legal Proceedings and Public Outcry
Initially, local residents suspected an electrical short circuit, but as the CCTV footage leaked onto social media, it triggered a wave of public indignation over the “petrol-pouring murder.” The garage owner, Masud Rana Babul, has officially filed a murder case against the unidentified suspect.
Sub-Inspector Md. Ishaq Mia confirmed that the victim’s body was returned to his family in Comilla following a post-mortem examination at Narsingdi Sadar Hospital. While the suspect’s motive remains unclear, police are investigating whether the act was a premeditated murder or the tragic result of a mentally deranged individual’s erratic behaviour.