Kolma relieved as local admin finally steps in
The situation in Kolma has started to become normal yesterday.
The village in Rajshahi's Tanore was under siege allegedly by Awami League men after the December 30 election, as majority of the villagers voted for the BNP candidate.
The local administration had to intervene to bring back normalcy.
In a meeting on law and order at Kolma High School playground, deputy commissioner of Rajshahi asked all to be patient and not to take the law into their own hands.
“From today, I don't want to hear any hue and cry in this village. No one will take the law into their own hands. All will work together to maintain peace,” DC SM Abdul Kader said, adding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had directed him to ensure security of the villagers.
“Why will you create chaos among yourselves when you will not get any benefit from the elected persons?”
A good number of policemen were present there. Top administrative officials attended the meeting organised by the police.
Villagers alleged that AL men did not allow anyone in or out of the village and they cut off the village at the entry points. No bus or other vehicles plied village roads for six days.
The AL men captured the deep tube-wells and deprived the villagers of irrigation water and also snapped their cable TV connections, they alleged.
The DC asked the AL men to have patience as their party won the election.
“Your responsibilities are bigger than others,” he said and asked the AL men to return possession of the deep tube-wells to their owners and restore cable TV connections.
The DC said no-one would be spared if they commit crimes.
Talking to this correspondent, BNP leader Hazrat Ali alleged that the AL men rigged the election at all centres except Komla Government Primary School in Komla union.
The AL men were angry as they could not stuff the ballot boxes at the centre, he said, adding that it was the reason behind the siege.
In the meeting, Md Shahidullah, superintendent of Rajshahi police, said law enforcers would be deployed in the village for some days to maintain law and order. He asked the villagers to ensure their own security, saying that police would not stay in the village all the time.
AL and BNP leaders also spoke at the meeting where around 300 locals were present.
Addressing the meeting, AL leaders said they were not involved in the siege. Inhabitants of other villages did this as Kolma villagers misbehaved with them.
“I feel secure as the top officials visited the village and talked to us,” said Yasin Ali after the meeting.
Some rickshaw-vans and locally made human hauliers were seeing running in the village.
On his way back to Rajshahi, the DC stopped a bus and asked its driver to go through Kolma and report to him if anyone obstructed him.
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