Kolkata, August 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Tension gripped Bhangar in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on Sunday after a local office of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) was set on fire, a day after former Trinamool Congress MLA Arabul Islam’s car was allegedly attacked in the area.
The fire was reported in the Shaksar area in the early hours, following which ISF workers and supporters accused the Trinamool Congress of being behind the incident and blocked the road. The blockade disrupted traffic movement in the area.
Police personnel from Bhangar police station reached the spot as tension escalated. A senior Kolkata Police officer said a complaint had been received regarding the burning of the party office and that an investigation was underway. Although Bhangar is in South 24 Parganas district, it falls under Kolkata Police jurisdiction.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire and attempting to identify those responsible. No arrests have been reported so far.
The incident came a day after Islam’s car was allegedly attacked in Uriapara under Polerhat police station limits. Islam had quit the ISF a day earlier and indicated that he could return to the Trinamool Congress.
According to Islam, bricks and two crude bombs were hurled at his car while he was returning home from a hospital on Saturday night. He said neither bomb struck the vehicle, exploding instead on the road, but a brick broke the car’s window. He narrowly escaped being hit.
“There was a heavy attack. The car was moving at a good speed. If it had slowed down a little, the driver and I could have been hurt. Bricks were thrown and bombs were hurled at the car. I left the ISF, and that is why they carried out the attack,” Islam told media persons on Sunday morning.
Islam alleged that ISF workers were behind the attack and claimed he had been targeted since leaving the party. Police subsequently visited the alleged attack site and began examining CCTV footage to identify those involved. No one has been detained or arrested in connection with the attack so far.
Islam announced his exit from the ISF through a social media post, accusing its leadership of “dictatorial behaviour” and alleging that some party workers in Bhangar had committed atrocities against ordinary people. He said he was leaving in protest against such actions.
Islam had earlier been a prominent Trinamool leader in Bhangar and served as an MLA. Before the Assembly elections, he left the Trinamool and joined the ISF led by MLA Nawshad Siddiqui. The ISF fielded him from Canning Paschim, but he lost the election.
His differences with the ISF leadership reportedly grew after the election, and he subsequently became less active in party programmes before announcing his departure.
Amid the heightened tension, a local BJP office is also scheduled to be inaugurated in the area later on Sunday.
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