Tenants, students in fear of police harassment

Tenants, especially students of different messes and dormitories in Jhenidah town and its adjacent areas, are passing their days in constant panic fearing police harassment due to the ongoing drive against the militants.

To ease the harassments, house owners and police are collecting National Identity Cards and permanent addresses of the tenants.

Quoting locals, police said there are nearly 200 messes and students' dormitories at different areas in Sadar upazila, including Hamdahpara, Adarshapara, Beparipara, Arappur, Chaklapara, Pabhati, Modernpara, Collegepara, Paglakanaipara, Wirelesspara, Sonalipara, Kalkapur and Hospital area in the town.

Nibras Islam and seven other alleged terrorists used to live at a mess in Sonalipara area of the town, they said.

Around 2,500 tenants used to live in those messes or dormitories but since the terrorists' attack at a café in the capital's Gulshan the number has decreased to 50 percent, locals added.

Mess owners said a large number of tenants are students of Islamic University (IU) as the university is only 25/30 kilometres away from Jhenidah town.

Kamrul Islam, a student of IU, said he is not staying in his mess since he learnt about the hideouts of Nibras and Abir through different newspapers.

After completing his private tuition he goes to his residence in Harinakundo upazila of the district instead of staying at his dormitory fearing police harassment. 

Anup Biswas, a student of Jhenidah Polytechnic Institute, also a resident of Dinajpur said he is in a constant fear as he has no alternative to staying at his mess.

Altaf Hossain, superintendent of police in Jhenidah, said police are preparing database of all the students of different messes as the IU is very close to Jhenidah town.