Hindus of Kornai worried as police camp withdrawn
Two years after the brutalities by Jamaat-Shibir and BNP men, the victims, mostly Hindus of Kornai village in Dinajpur Sadar upazila, continue to feel insecure.
During the national election on January 5 in 2014, some 1500 people carrying sharp weapons and sticks attacked the villagers, apparently to vent their wrath for casting vote.
They beat up the locals mercilessly and looted, vandalised or torched 86 houses and roadside shops, the victims said.
Two years after the attack, people are still scared, said Girijanath Roy of Kornai Schoolpara area.
After the incident, eminent rights activists like Sultana Kamal visited the spot to stand by the affected people and Dinajpur police administration set up a temporary police camp at Kornai Government Primary School compound for the safety of the villagers.
But the camp was withdrawn on November 22 last year.
"Shiv Prosad Chandra, a resident of his area left for India on December 31. More villagers are planning to migrate," said Liton Chandra Roy of Kornai area.
Earlier, local residents Bhusan Chandra Roy and Karuna Chandra Roy with their family members left for India in January and February of 2014.
Visiting the house of Shiv Prosad, this correspondent asked his elder brother about his whereabouts, but he declined to say anything about it.
Dinajpur Deputy Commissioner Mir Khairul Alam said the situation in Kornai area is quite well and the civil and police officials are closely monitoring the situation.
After the heinous attack, two cases were filed with Dinajpur Sadar Police Station and those were later transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department.
The department filed charge sheet on May 31 last year, accusing 89 people. Of them, 42 people were arrested in different times.
Kartik Chandra, plaintiff of a case, said he knows nothing about the recent progress of the cases.
The people of Okrabarihat village of Chirirbandar upazila in Dinajpur also met a similar attack during the January 5 election in 2014 when around 45 roadside shops were damaged, said locals.
Comments