Lull after mayhem at Pabna village
Fleeing locals return as admin takes control, many find houses vandalised, looted
After fleeing her house on Tuesday, following a series of clash between two local leaders of Awami League (AL), when housewife Asma returned home on Thursday she found all the belongings, including furniture, clothes and even food grains looted.
The attackers also vandalised her tin-shed house at Bilchandak village in the district's Faridpur upazila.
Like Asma, several hundred villagers faced the same since they started returning homes from Thursday.
Quoting the villagers, police said the clash started between supporters of Ansar Ali Lalu and Rahmat Ali, both village level AL leaders, over establishing supremacy in the area on Monday.
Over 100 houses were vandalised during the continual attacks that continued for three consecutive days till Wednesday.
Many villagers, who fled the area to save their lives, returned to their homes on Thursday and Friday after local administration took the situation under control, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP Circle) Fazle Khoda Polash said.
Meanwhile, a seven-member committee headed by the police official was formed on Thursday to investigate the incident and two separate cases were filed in this regard.
“Due to series of clashes, most of my family members moved to a safer place a few days ago,” said Morzina Begum, a local resident.
Locals said there had been a feud between Lalu and Rahmat for long and the two groups engaged in several clashes in the last two years, which often left the villagers victimised.
“Most of the villagers do not have any connection with the enmity of the two Awami League leaders, but we often become victims of their personal interest. Although we have returned to our homes, we feel insecure,” said Anwar Hossain, a village doctor.
Several local AL leaders, who claimed to have no connection with the clash, said it wasn't a political clash but a clash of interests of the two village leaders.