No one was wounded as locals doused the fire before it could cause any major damage.

Nazma Begum, a relative of the CEC who lives in the house, told The Daily Star that some 15-20 people carrying arms and sticks stormed into the two-storey tin-roofed house in Ambowla village under Bagdha union around 3:30am yesterday.

Breaking the window of Aziz's room on the ground floor on the west side of the house, they sprinkled kerosene and set fire, she said. The room is usually kept locked.

As the intruders fled the scene soon, members of the family who already woke up raised an alarm.

Locals and the family members extinguished the fire.

The family members said Aziz used to live in the house when he was a school student. He still stays in the house whenever he visits home. His cousins now live there.

When contacted, Barisal Deputy Commissioner Sheikh Alauddin said he heard that somebody set fire to a pile of hay beside the CEC's house.