“I was entering my kitchen at around 10:00 AM. It was November 14 when suddenly around two thousand people broke into our yard, and later on our entire village carrying lethal weapons. Setting acts of arson. They plundered some gold ornaments, a TV, a refrigerator and a wardrobe out of my home. Within minutes my sweet home turned into ashes before my very eyes,” said Champa Rani Halder (age: 34).
It was Champa Rani and some fellow women of her village Kauar Char who were narrating their witness account. The horrendous tale of their plight to us on November 22 morning when a small team of us, a handful of former members of Dhaka University film society, visited the affected area. We caught up with them just after a communal harmony meeting (Sampriti Samabesh) was over in the panic stricken village. District Commissioner (DC) of Barisal, local Union Parisad Chairman from the present ruling party, Thana Nirbahi Officer (TNO), locally Elected MP from Awami League, members of Maha Nagar Puja Committee and members of Anubhab Samabay Samity (a Hindu community based Cooperative Society) were present in the meeting in presence of the villagers from both the villages: Kauar Char and the nearby village from where the attack came.
The unpleasant incident occurred at Kauar Char is known to all. A young man named Parvez Gazi was murdered on November 14, 2013. It was in the evening when he came to the neighbouring village of Kauar Char. The murder took place in the heat of the moment. Till now Parvez Gazi’s murder is shrouded in mystery. But the problem is the two alleged “killers” who were basically outsiders and had fled the scene while many innocent men, absent on the spot on the day, were arrested with their families harassed
Now who are the real perpetrators behind the fabrication of an ill motivated rumor that ignited mob sentiments to attack their neighbouring village? Some locals have testified on condition of anonymity that the local Union Parisad Chairman of Awami League may be one of the initiators as he could not secure a handsome number of votes from this Hindu village in last general elections. The students of Broja Mohan College of Barisal who pioneered the mob attack are proven cadres of Bangladesh Chattra League (BCL). The deceased Parvez Gazi’s elder brother is a leader of BCL Barisal. One police officer, on the condition of anonymity, informed that the onus of this arson attack and plundering of the Hindu village basically happened due to the callousness and negligence of the concerned administration.
We grieve and mourn the untimely death of Parvez Gazi and demand stern punishment of the killers. But what can justify plundering 16 families of a minority village?
The writer is Communication, Website and List-Serve Manager of Gender and Water Alliance (GWA).
Email: audity.falguni@gmail.com
Courtesy: the daily star dot com
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