a completely devastated locality named satkhira

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  • 8/13/2019 A Completely Devastated Locality Named Satkhira

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    BDWatch Canada | 1

    A completely devastated locality named Satkhira

    Bangladesh government lead by Hasina had made the record of repressing people just to cling to power.

    Police, joint forces and ruling party men are together killing, arresting andrepressing opposition leaders and activists across the country. Thousands of

    opposition men are now behind bars. Satkhira has turned into a death valley

    completely destroyed because of the joint operations in the past three days,

    Nazrul Islam Khan, BNP Standing Committee member

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    Three days of joint forces operations in Satkhira starting from Suday night of 15 December 2013, havegiven the district of Satkhira of Bangladesh a look of utter destruction. An uninformed observer can beforgiven to think a mighty earthquake has stricken the border district. It is hard to believe the level ofdestruction without witnessing with ones own eyes. Scattered fires are raging in the localities. Wailsof anguish can be heard everywhere. Many are close to losing their sanity following the destruction

    and looting of the properties they have spent a lifetime to acquire.

    Thousands of people have become homeless. People are fleeing at the sight of the joint force. Evenwomen, children and old are not escaping their wrath. Men and young boys are leaving their homes atdusk in fear of the joint force. Arsons are taking place every night. Homes are being set on fire andlooted.

    216 cases have been filed in Satkhira against the members of Jamaat-Shibir, BNP and its affiliatedorganizations during the Awami League led 14-party grand alliance governments tenure. 4,500 leadersand activists have been accused in these cases by name and 73,977 others have been accused asunidentified. 1,449 opposition activists have been arrested so far in these cases.

    People who have lost the roofs over their heads are spending the winter nights with their families underopen skies in constant fear. Even their relatives are not being able to reach them to offer any assistance.Many women and children had to face the wrath of police and armed members of the ruling AwamiLeague when they tried to inquire about their loved ones.

    The joint force has bulldozed and set fire to house of Jamaat leader Principal Moulana Abdul Khaleq,Ex-Member of Parliament

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    The protectors of the people are keeping themselves busy in persecuting the people in this borderdistrict. Human rights activists are not being able to document the persecution and the journalists arenot reporting the events factually due to the lack of safety of their lives.

    Opposition activists of Satkhira, a stronghold of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, had strongly enforced the

    recent rounds of countrywide blockade programs called by the BNP led 18-party alliance.Communication between the sub-districts and the district proper ceased during these blockades.

    Since the beginning of the joint forces operations on the night of December 15th, at least 57 leadersand activists of the opposition parties have been arrested. 7 others were shot to death. Beside thearrests and killings, the joint force has bulldozed and set fire to hundreds of homes, shops andbusinesses belonging to opposition activists and supporters including Satkhira district Jamaats Amir(President) and former MP Moulana Abdul Khalek, Nayeb-e-Amir (Vice President) Rafikul Islam and BNPleader and Agordari Union Parisad Chairman Anarul Islam.

    Locals alleged that armed Awami League members are taking part with police in attacking and

    persecuting opposition activists. As a result, many Awami League members have been forced out oftheir localities by the locals. However, they are assisting the joint force in attacks in their areas. Leadersand members of Awami Leagues youth affiliates Chhatra League and Jubo League were even seencarrying the arms of the police during these operations.

    The joint force has bulldozed and set fire to house of Principal Moulana Abdul Gaffar, President of SatkhiraSadar Upozila of Jamaat-e-Islami and ex-chairman.

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    Shefali Begum, a university student from Ashashunis Batra village, said, Joint force and Awami Leaguemembers enter localities chanting Naraye takbir, Allahu Akbar (a slogan mostly used by Jamaat andShibir). They then beat those who come out and sometimes even shoot people and leave them there.Some people get taken away after being gagged and blindfolded. I do not know where they end up inthe end. Many people also do not go to hospitals to treat their injuries out of fear of getting arrested.

    Young girls have left villages to take refuge with their relatives in towns to save their honor. And thosewho have no other place to go are giving their body to those beasts. Expressing anger, she added, Ihave heard about the torture perpetrated by the Pakistani occupying force. And now I am witnessinghow our own countrys government forces and ruling party members are carrying out ghoulish tortureon the general people.

    When asked how killings, arsons and lootings are taking place amid ongoing operation of the joint force,Satkhiras SP Manjurul Kabir dodged the question.

    Officer-in-Charge of Kaliganj Police Station Ali Azam Khan, however, said, Those who lost theirproperties in the arson attacks used to rule this area for a long time. Angry people got agitated andransacked their homes, shops and businesses. When asked whether anyone from Awami League waswith those angry people, he himself got agitated and said, Time has come to take revenge on thosewho ruled this area all this time. That is what is happening- nothing more than that.

    The joint force has bulldozed and set fire to house of BNP leader Anwarul, Chairman Satkhira Sadar Upozila

    Source: Banglad Daily-Manab ZaminSee more at: http://www.bdchronicle.com/detail/news/31/3225#sthash.m1k07SyS.nwZws1fS.dpuf http://www.english.rtnn.net//newsdetail/detail/1/4/56543#.UrjvpvRDu4J

    http://www.bdchronicle.com/detail/news/31/3225#sthash.m1k07SyS.nwZws1fS.dpufhttp://www.bdchronicle.com/detail/news/31/3225#sthash.m1k07SyS.nwZws1fS.dpufhttp://www.bdchronicle.com/detail/news/31/3225#sthash.m1k07SyS.nwZws1fS.dpufhttp://www.english.rtnn.net/newsdetail/detail/1/4/56543#.UrjvpvRDu4Jhttp://www.english.rtnn.net/newsdetail/detail/1/4/56543#.UrjvpvRDu4Jhttp://www.english.rtnn.net/newsdetail/detail/1/4/56543#.UrjvpvRDu4Jhttp://www.bdchronicle.com/detail/news/31/3225#sthash.m1k07SyS.nwZws1fS.dpuf