Chaos in Chauddagram ahead of elections
Cumilla Correspondent :
In Chouddagram, Cumilla, miscreants set fire to three Jamaat offices, a shop and a bus of an educational institution in Chouddagram. However, local Jamaat leaders are claiming that BNP workers set the fire in the dark of night.
On the other hand, miscreants vandalized a local BNP office in Shuvopur of the upazila. The BNP alleged Jamaat men were behind the incident.
BNP and its affiliated organisations showed a picture where, a banner installed in the office was seen opened and chairs were lying around randomly. Such images were seen during a site visit on Monday.
According to complaints received from local sources, BNP and affiliated organizations in Chouddagram have been making various threats through social media for the past few days. As part of this, miscreants set fire to a bus carrying students of Nankara Ayesha Siddika (RA) Mahila Madrasa in Batisa Union on Sunday night and early Monday morning.
In addition, Jamaat’s election offices in Telipukur Par, Dhanijakara Bazar in Shuvopur Union and Sameshpur Moslem Market in Kalikapur Union were set on fire by pouring petrol. All the goods of Nasir Uddin’s only source of income in Gachbaria were burnt in the fire they set.
This caused a loss of Tk 1.5 million. In addition, several shops in Shahadat Hossain Golap’s market in Dhanijakara were damaged. Earlier, miscreants attacked the house of BNP worker Farooq in Dhanijakara.
The local BNP claims that Jamaat workers were involved in the attack. Due to this, Jamaat worker Taskin was seriously injured in the exchange of attacks by both sides in Dhanijakara Bazar on Monday afternoon. BNP claims that Upazila BNP Publicity Secretary Gazi Ismail and Chhatra Dal leader Shahadat Hossain were also injured.
On the other hand, in the aftermath of the Dhanijakara Bazar incident, BNP and Jamaat supporters clashed in the neighboring Munshirhat Bazar in the afternoon. Jamaat leaders Harunur Rashid Bhuiyan and Shahin Quader were seriously injured and are admitted to a private hospital in Comilla. Enraged by the incident, Jamaat workers set fire to three motorcycles used by the BNP attackers.
On the other hand, the Nankara Ayesha Siddika (RA) Mahila Madrasa Management Committee, guardians, teachers and young students and locals formed a human chain on Monday afternoon to protest the burning of the bus and demand the arrest of the miscreants. They strongly demanded the administration to arrest the miscreants soon.
Md. Nasir Uddin, a grocery shopkeeper in Gachbaria, who was affected by the fire, said in a tearful voice, “Three masked men on a motorcycle broke the lock of the Jamaat office around 2 am, poured petrol and set it on fire. The Jamaat office and my grocery shop next to it were burnt to ashes. I have suffered a loss of over 15 lakh taka in the fire. I demand fair justice from the government.”
Shahadat Hossain Golap, the owner of the market affected by the fire, said, “My market was damaged by the fire of BNP workers.”
A resident of Sameshpur in Kalikapur Union said that two Chhatra Dal workers poured petrol into the Jamaat office and set it on fire. The entire office was damaged.
On the other hand, BNP and its affiliated organizations have been spreading the news on social media that their election office in Dhanijkara was vandalized, but in reality, the truth of this has not been found.
Chouddagram Upazila Jamaat Secretary Md. Belal Hossain said, BNP and its affiliated organizations are trying to disturb the peaceful Chouddagram with the elections in mind. As part of this, they have set three election offices on fire.
The educational institution’s vehicle in Nankara and the grocery store next to the Jamaat office were not spared from their fire. Since there is no public support, they are trying to create panic in the area by setting fire to it. The people of Chouddagram will not allow their evil intentions to be implemented, InshaAllah.
Chouddagram Upazila BNP General Secretary Engineer Shah Alam Raju said, ‘On Sunday night, Jamaat leaders and activists attacked the house of BNP supporter Bachchu Mia in Dhanijkara, vandalized and looted it. At the same time, our party office located in that market was also vandalized.
Chouddagram Model Police Station Inspector Investigation Md. Gulzar Alam said, after hearing the news of the Jamaat-BNP clash in Dhanijkara, I went to the spot and brought the situation under control. If anyone files a written complaint about the arson and vandalism between Jamaat-BNP, I will investigate and take necessary action.