The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party said on Friday that the arson attack on the Benapole Express Train that killed at least four people in Gopibagh of the capital was pre-planned and ill-motivated.

In a statement issued to the media houses Friday night, the party;s senior joint secretary general, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, expressed concern over the deaths in the fire.

Rizvi said that the casualties in the fire were undoubtedly an act of sabotage that goes against humanity.

Condemning the incident, Rizvi said, in 2014 and 2015, when the movement for the demand of a non-party caretaker government was at its peak, the ruling party-backed miscreants tried to divert people;s attention by carrying out hellish arson attacks.

He said that inhumane arson terrorism has been repeated recently.

;The same old technique has been used in today;s Benapole Express train fire incident. The ruling party has relied on deep conspiracies and sabotage as people have been supporting the movement for democracy by the leaders and activists of the opposition parties, including the BNP,; he said.

;This inhuman incident is pre-planned and ill-motivated,; the BNP leader said.

;On behalf of BNP, we are urging the authorities concerned to arrest the perpetrators and ensure exemplary punishment for the miscreants,; he said.

The BNP leader prayed for the salvation of the departed souls and the early recovery of the injured ones.