Many flee after joint force drive:Daily Star

A burnt down home at Rasulpur of Shibganj upazila in Chapainawabganj and a ransacked room of another home in the same area. Photo: Star Fearing arrest, most of the males in two villages of Shibganj upazila are staying away from home at night after members of the joint forces allegedly ransacked and torched houses during raids there on Thursday. In the two villages, Rasulpur and Mohadipur, most peo
ple are said to be supporters of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.  Locals alleged that the members of police, Rab and BGB vandalised 35 houses, torched two more and at least seven motorcycles during Thursday's drives.  Four to five masked men were with the joint forces during the rampage in Rasulpur. This correspondent visited the villages yesterday and saw broken televisions, furniture and ceramic products strewn across the floors of many houses. Villagers said they had already moved their valuables to other “safe” places, fearing further “attacks” by the law enforcers. Police refute the allegations. They say the raids were carried out to arrest criminals involved in many subversive activities during the ongoing nationwide blockade by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.  Bashir Ahmed, superintendent of Chapainawabganj police, said the villagers might have vandalised and torched the houses themselves “to create an issue”. Advertisement “We will investigate the matter,” he said, adding that the drives were conducted as per the law. Meanwhile, police in drives yesterday arrested five “Jamaat-Shibir” activists from the two villages and a nearby one, Israilermour, for their alleged involvement in subversive activities, Moynul Islam, officer-in-charge of Shibganj Police Station, told The Daily Star.  Locals claimed that joint forces during a drive had vandalised and torched their homes while the law enforcers say that the complainants could have done it themselves to create an issue. Photo: Star Monimul Haque, a businessman of Rasulpur village, said he along with many other males hid themselves inside a mango orchard during Thursday's raids. When he returned home, he found his refrigerators, televisions and air-conditioner smashed. “In front of my wife, they [joint force] destroyed everything in the nine rooms of my two-storey building,” said an emotional Monimul. “I am not involved with any political party, but I support the BNP. Now was that my fault?” he asked. His wife Hamida Begum said: “I requested the law enforcers not to destroy those products but they did pay any heed to me.” Monimul said at night-time he now stays at his relatives' house in a nearby village to avoid arrest. Piyara Begum, wife of another Monimul Haque, a sand trader of the same village, said some members of police, BGB and Rab stormed and ransacked her house around 10:00pm Thursday. They also torched the motorcycle of her husband, she alleged.  Sufian Ali, a farmer of Mohadipur village, said the members of the joint forces ransacked his house too and later set it on fire. “I have lost everything,” he said. Locals alleged that the “attacks” were made on the villages as most of the residents were supporters of the BNP and Jamaat. According to them, a bomb attack on two truck drivers by pro-blockade activists near the villages on Wednesday might also have prompted the law enforcers to launch the drives. They, however, claimed none of the attackers belonged to the villages.