Murder of Sunamganj Fisherman: Family fears unfair probe

The family of Shyamacharan Barman, a fisherman brutally murdered in Sunamganj's Dharmapasha upazila last month, fear they will not get justice as they say a local lawmaker is influencing the case.

On January 7, Shyamacharan, 65, was killed by a group of attackers allegedly in a dispute over fishing in a local waterbody and his family members allege local lawmaker Sunamganj-1 MP Mouazzam Hossain Ratan and his three brothers were behind this.

But police did not accept the case which named Ratan and his three brothers the following day. Later, on January 10, Sub-inspector Ariful Islam filed a case with the station accusing 60 to 65 unnamed persons over Shyamacharan's murder.

On January 14, Shyamacharan's son Chandan Barman went to Dharmapasha Senior Judicial Magistrate's Court to file a case accusing 63 persons, including the MP and his brothers. However, the court put this on hold as a police case had already been filed earlier.

The court said a decision on whether or not the case will be accepted will be made once the police submit its probe report.

A dispute had been ongoing in the area over Monai or Sunoi Jolmohal, as the local waterbody is called, which is part of a river in Dharmapasha upazila.

In 2016, it was leased out for five years to Sunoi Matsyajibi Samabay Samity, a registered cooperative established in 1976. Shyamacharan and his brother were both members of the cooperative, along with many others from their village Sunoi Jelepara.

Shyamacharan's brother Manindra Chandra Barman said, "For years, the local MP and his brothers have been controlling the fishing in local water bodies.

"Since 2017, we have been paying them Tk 10 lakh and six percent of our profit each year to keep our cooperative fishing. But last year, we could not pay that much as we were incurring losses and that was the beginning of their intimidation."

On September 3 last year, some unknown men launched an attack on the cooperative members to take control of the waterbody.

on December 3, the cooperative society members formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka and arranged a press conference, where they expressed their fear of being attacked again.

On the night of January 7 this year, a group attacked the storage sheds by the waterbody where guards would usually be posted, and torched several of these.

In the incident, Shyamacharan was hacked to death and at least 15 were injured, say locals and police.

Denying all allegations, MP Mouazzam Hossain Ratan told The Daily Star on January 25, "That night, I was in Sunamganj town where the deputy commissioner and police superintendent were also present. They can vouch for me not being involved in the murder."

Contacted, Sunamganj Police Superintendent Md Mizanur Rahman vouched for the MP's whereabouts on the night of January 7.

The SP said, "They [Shyamacharan's family members] claimed that the MP was present on the spot that night. If we start recording cases against a person knowing he was not there, it will show a way to harass general people."

However, the copy of the case statement that the family had prepared, seen by The Daily Star, did not mention that the MP himself was present on the spot but stated that the MP and his brothers were abettors to the murder.

Shyamacharan's son Chandan Barman said, "Police refused to record our case, filed a made-up case to save the abettors behind the murder. We understand an unfair investigation will be conducted and we will not get justice."

Contacted on January 25, Md Delwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Dharmapasha Police Station, said, "The case is under investigation."

He then hung up the call without giving any chance to ask further questions and did not pick up this correspondent's repeated calls after.

MP Mouazzam Hossain Ratan further claimed, "The murder was caused following an internal feud within the local Hindu fishermen community, and no one is connected with me or any of my brothers. BNP and Jamaat politicians are trying to frame me."

Sunamganj Police Superintendent Md Mizanur Rahman, said, "We are investigating the case and if the investigation finds the MP's involvement in the case, we'll take legal steps. No one is above the law."

Meanwhile, Sankhubdho Nagorik Andolon, a citizen body, organised a human chain in front of Sylhet Central Shaheed Minar on January 21, demanding justice for Shyamacharan Barman.

On January 24, Khatriya Barmans' Itihash Onushilon O Kalyan Parishad also organised a human chain in Sunamganj town's Altaf Square area, demanding justice for the community's elderly fisherman.