Evicted Santals accept aid sent by PM

The evicted Santals in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha today accepted aid sent on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Executive Magistrate Fatematuz Zohra distributed 30 packets of total 150 packets of aid among the victims till this afternoon at a primary school in Boro Jaypur village of Shapmara union.

Each packet contains 20 kilogrammes of rice, one litre of edible oil, one kilogramme lentils, one kilogramme potato, one kilogramme salt, and two blankets.

The authorities also distributed 30 sets of books among children, reports our Gaibandha correspondent.

The Santals earlier denied the aid on Monday when the Gobindaganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abdul Hannan went to distribute the relief to them.

They said they could not accept the relief from the UNO who allegedly ordered the law enforcers to gun down the Santals.

The Santals are spending homeless days on demand of getting their land back since a clash ensued on November 6 between them and workers of Rangpur Sugar Mill and police.

The incident took place when law enforcers carried out a drive to evict the Santals from their village on Rangpur Sugar Mill's land in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha.

Three Santal men were shot dead and at least 20 people from both sides were injured in the clash. Later, a case was filed with Gobindaganj Police Station against 42 named and 300 to 400 unidentified accused on November 6 night.