Follow-upTwo Cases Filed After Mar 25 Clash
Male members of Char Bestin on the run
All male members of Char Bestin village under newly formed Rangabali upazila in the district are on the run as two cases have been filed over the clashes between the villagers and the men of Galachipa municipality Mayor Abdul Ohab Khalifa on March 25.
Four women of the village were bullet injured during the clash when, Abdul Ohab, also vice-president of Galachipa upazila unit of ruling Awami League (AL), opened fire with his gun.
Abdul Ohab drew saline water to his fish enclosure from nearby the river on March 25 when local farmers protested the matter as saline water make their agricultural land unfit for cultivation and damage their produces like watermelon, police and locals said.
Local farmers including a good number of women went to the enclosure at about 11:00am and cut the embankment to remove saline water.
Informed, the mayor with his men went to the spot at about 3:00pm and there followed an exchange of hot words.
At about 6:00pm locals tried to attack the mayor and his men and the mayor opened fire. Four female farmers of Char Bestin village received bullet injuries during the incident.
They are now undergoing treatment at Patuakhali General Hospital.
Two days later, Md Shahidul Islam, manager of fish enclosure owner Abdul Ohab Khalifa, filed a case with the Speedy Trial Tribunal in Patuakhali accusing 18 identified and 40-45 unidentified people while Khokon Howlader filed another case on behalf of the villagers with the same tribunal against 19 identified and 10-15 unidentified people.
Police several times visited the village, about 15 km from Rangabali upazila headquarters, to arrest the accused but did not find any male people there.
"Asked by the court, we are investigating both the cases and will submit report to the court very soon," said Mahe Alom, OC of Rangabali police station.
Nazrul Islam, chairman of Char Montaz union parishad, said, "After filing of cases from both sides, all male members of Char Bestin village went into hiding in fear of harassment by police."
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