Three children were burnt to death this evening as one of their family members allegedly set fire to their house in Shailkupa upazila of Jhenidah over a family dispute.

The alleged arsonist, Iqbal Hossain, 40, is a paternal uncle of two of the children and cousin of the third kid, police told our Jhenidah correspondent.

The deceased are: Mostafa Shafin, 10, and Mostafa Amin, 5, sons of Delwar Hossain, and Iqbal's cousin Mahim Hossain, 14, of Kabirpur village.

Mahim's mother Jesmine Khatun, 40, also received critical burn injuries in the fire.  

Locals and police said Iqbal who lives at nearby house entered Delwar's house around 7:30pm and tied hands and legs of the children inside their study room.

Later, Iqbal released gas and set the house on fire from outside, locals alleged.    

Hearing the screams, locals rushed to the spot and whisked the trio off to Jhenidah Sadar Hospital where Shafin and Amin died immediately, said Dr Ataur Rahman of the hospital.

Later, Mahim who suffered 90 percent burns succumbed to his injuries immediately after doctors referred him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), said Tozammel Haque, officer-in-charge (OC) of Shailkupa Police Station.   

The OC added that they picked up Iqbal and was interrogating him in connection with the incident.