Gaibandha Santals: 33 get HC bail in case over attacking cops

The High Court yesterday granted eight weeks' anticipatory bail to 33 people including 23 indigenous Santals of Gobindaganj in Gaibandha in a case filed on charge of attacking police on November 6.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice JBM Hassan issued the bail order after hearing a petition filed by the accused.

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The accused petitioners appeared before the HC bench seeking anticipatory bail with the apprehension that they would be arrested on their way to the lower court for surrender, Abu Obaidur Rahman, a lawyer for the petitioners, told The Daily Star.

Police filed the case on November 6 with Gobindaganj Police Station against 42 known and 300 to 400 unknown people following a clash between the Santals and the staff of Rangpur Sugar Mills.

On the day of the incident, indigenous Santals engaged in a violent clash on the mill's sugarcane farm at Sahebganj where police, assisted by the sugar mill staff, launched a drive to evict the Santals from around 100 acres of land that had been acquired from their forefathers during the former East Pakistan era.

The Santals now want the land back as they believe that an agreement signed in 1962 following the land acquisition was violated.

The November 6 clash left two Santals dead, six missing and 20 others, including nine policemen, injured.

Meanwhile, on November 26, the Santals filed a case against 33, including local Awami League lawmaker Principal Abul Kalam Azad and Gobindaganj UNO Abdul Hannan on charge of "ordering" the attack on the indigenous community on November 6.