Acid throwers still at large

Family members of an acid attack victim in Kaliganj upazila yesterday expressed indignation as the accused are still at large after over three months of the incident.

The police are yet to prepare the charge sheet against the criminals who threw acid on Shahida Begum of Uttar Madati village in the upazila.

Victim Shahida, 28, is wife of Tofazzal Hossain and mother of two children.

Shahida's elder brother Shahinur Islam filed a case with Kaliganj Police Station on January 19 against Abu Hanifa, 42, son of Jamser Ali, his brother-in-law Khaybor Ali and cousin Rashidul Islam of the village.

Police said the main accused Abu Hanifa, with the help Khaybor and Rashidul, threw acid on Shahida when she was alone in her home at night on January 18. Shahida's husband was in Dhaka, searching for a job at that time.

Locals rescued Shahida and admitted her to Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex. She was referred to Rangpur Medical College Hospital and then taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where she was treated with the help of NGO Brac.

Shahida said Abu Hanifa had been giving indecent proposals to her and offering money, but she rejected him directly several times. “As I was very disturbed, I called for village arbitration against Abu Hanifa. He and his men took revenge a few days later by throwing acid on me,” she said, demanding exemplary punishment to the attackers.

Shahinur said the accused are politically and economically influential, and their men are still pressuring them to withdraw the case. “We are upset as police have not arrested the culprits,” he said, adding that police are delaying in submitting the charge sheet.   

Kaliganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Maqbul Hossain said the attackers went into hiding after the incident and police are conducting drives to arrest them. “We did not get any complaint about pressure on the victim's family,” he said, adding that police are preparing to submit the charge sheet soon.