Probe body takes statements of victims, officials

A one-member probe body led by Barguna Chief Judicial Magistrate Md Mohitul Haque Anam Chowdhury yesterday visited Chandantala village in Taltali upazila under Barguna district and recorded statements of 20 people including a few members of tortured Hindu families.

A High Court (HC) bench on April 6 directed the Barguna chief judicial magistrate to investigate the incident of forcing 14 Hindu families out of their houses and 40 acres of croplands in Taltali upazila's Chandantala village, damaging the houses and looting goods from there by some local criminals in March.

Earlier Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) submitted a write petition before the HC in this regard.

The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul-Haque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman directed the magistrate to submit a report in 30 days, mentioning what government measures have been taken afterwards and what the prevailing situation is.

The HC bench ordered the government to ensure security to the victim families by immediately setting up a police outpost at the village.

The probe body yesterday recorded statements of 20 people including three of the victim families, namely, Jadob Chandra Sarker, Sumonta Sarker and Beauty Rani.

Others witnesses include Barguna DC Mir Jahirul Islam, SP Md Saiful Islam, Additional SP Md Jahangir Hossain, Taltali UNO Kazi Tofayel, Taltali Police Station OC Babul Akhter, local UP Chairman Nazir Hossain alias Kalu Patoary, local UP member Md Sultan Bayatee, local journalists Abu Zafor Md Saleh, M Jasim Uddin, Hasanuzzaman, and Mushfique Arif.

"I will send report to the High Court very soon," said Md Mohitul Haque Anam Chowdhury, chief judicial magistrate of Barguna.

Earlier, Barguna district and Taltali upazila administrations rehabilitated all the 14 families who were forced to leave their houses on March 13. They rebuilt the houses of the victim families on March 31.

Babul Akhter, OC of Taltali Police Station, said an extortion case was filed under the Speedy Trial Act on March 23 accusing Abdur Rashid Akon of demanding Tk 10 lakh from the Hindu families.

Meanwhile, a two-member team from ASK, led by its investigator Abu Ahmed Fazul Kabir, visited the spot on March 31.