No one held, a month after the murder of a disabled man
Family members of a man who was killed over land dispute in Mymensingh on December 25 alleged that they were being threatened by the accused.
The victim, Mozammel Hossain Babul, 50, had been running a small grocery shop at his home in Kalyanpur village of Mymensingh Sadar since 2007.
No accused has been arrested yet in this connection.
Talking to this correspondent, Babul's wife Sheuly Akter, 45, who works as a domestic help in the capital, said her husband used to pull rickshaw in Dhaka. In 1995, he had an accident and was admitted to the Pangu Hospital, where his right leg had to be amputated.
The lone bread earner of this family at that time, Babul had to start pulling rickshaw again and a photograph of him pulling rickshaw by one leg was published in The Daily Star in August 2007. Apex Bangladesh Foundation took note of it and gave him Tk 30,000 in financial help. With the money, Babul started the grocery shop in his village home.
"When we were in Dhaka, a neighbour named Suruj Ali, 35, a chowkidar, and his accomplices grabbed our 3.50-decimal land of our 16-decimal homestead. They were trying to grab the rest. When we returned home in 2007, we protested it, but Suruj and his men did not stop," said Sheuly.
Since 2014, Babul lodged several general diaries with Kotwali Police Station seeking police help as his life was at risk, but police did not take any action, alleged Sheuly.
Babul also informed Khairul Alam Sohagh, former chairman of Khaghdahor union parishad, and its present Chairman Anwar Hossain Nannu of the matter. They did not take any initiative to settle the long-standing dispute, Sheuly further alleged.
Recently, Babul decided to sell his homestead and leave the area to avoid the dispute over the land. It angered Suruj and his men.
Following this, Babul and his younger brother Mobarak Hossain were beaten up allegedly by Suruj and his men on December 25 morning, said Babul's sister Morsheda Akter.
Hearing the news, Babul's daughter Farzana Akter and her husband Anarul Islam, a battery-run auto-rickshaw driver, rushed to the spot and attempted to take Babul to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, but Suruj and his men obstructed them, she said.
"There had been an altercation with them and at one stage, we managed to take him to the hospital where he died soon after his admission," said Anarul.
Following day, Babul's wife Sheuly lodged a case with Mymensingh Kotwali Police Station against seven people. Suruj was made the prime accused.
The attackers also ransacked his house, the shop and looted valuables and cash, alleged the victim's family.
"Suruj and his men are threatening us with dire consequences if the case is not withdrawn. But I lodged another case with a Mymensingh court on January 13," said Sheuly.
The victim's family members said to harass them, Suruj's second wife Rekha Akter lodged a "false" case against 12 people, including Babul's eldest son Billal Hossain, a mason, daughter Farzana and her husband Anarul, on January 6.
This correspondent could not contact Suruj for his comments as his phone was found switched off.
Contacted, Khaghdador UP Chairman Anwar said he was aware of the incident.
He added that Babul was getting disabled allowance and he withdrew his last instalment in June last year.
Replying to a question, he said action was being taken against Suruj.
Contacted, Faruq Hossain, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Kotwali Police Station, said drives were on to arrest all the accused.
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