Arrest of MP, sugar mills MD demanded

Ethnic Santals accompanied by locals joined agitation programmes in different northern districts yesterday demanding justice for the killing of three Santal men and atrocities on the community people during an eviction drive in Shahebganj sugarcane farm area of Gaibandha district on November 6 and 7.

Covering faces with black cloth, the agitators lined up with placards and banners along DB Road in Gaibandha town during an hour-long human chain from 12 noon, reports our Gaibandha correspondent.

Jatiya Adivasi Parishad, Jano Uddog, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, Udichi Shilpi Gosthi and Bangladesh Chhatra Union jointly organised the programme.

The speakers at the human chain demanded arrest of Gaibandha-4 lawmaker Abul Kalam Azad, Sapmara union parishad chairman Shakil Akhand Bulbul and Rangpur Sugar Mill managing director Abdul Awal, as they are among the accused in the case filed by Santals.

They also demanded withdrawal of Abdul Hannan, upazila nirbahi officer of Gobindaganj, and Subrota Kumara Sarkar, officer-in-charge of Gobindaganj Police Station, for conducting eviction drive against Santal community in Shahebganj.

Our Dinajpur correspondent reports: The ethnic people from different upazilas joined a human chain organised by Dinajpur unit of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad in front of Dinajpur Press Club in the town.

The speakers at the rally demanded judicial probe and punishment for killing of three Santals and torching and looting houses of the community people on November 6 and 7.

They demanded arrest of the 33 named accused of the case filed by Santals and rehabilitation of the evicted Santals on their forefathers' land.

Similar programmes were also organised in different northern districts including Rajshahi, Thakurgaon, Bogra, Rangpur, Joypurhat and Naogaon and Natore.