Residents of Obhoynagar are yet to recover from the trauma of the recent January 5 attacks on them. The attacks were on the day of the national elections.
Most of the Hindu people do not dare live in their houses at night, fearing further attacks. Almost every villager requested anonymity from the reporters; they believe exposure would bring them more harassment and suffering.
On January 5, Jamaat-Shibir activists equipped with firearms, crude bombs, machetes, iron rods and sticks attacked Hindu people in Obhoynagar and Jessore. The villagers were attacked because they are Hindus and because many of them had cast votes in the 10th national elections on that day.
Jamaat-Shibir activists poured in from nearby villages – Baliadanga, Jagannathpur, Deyapara, Joldanga, Basundia, Dhakuria and Bangram. Of villager Nur Mohammad's five sons, the youngest of them – who is only 18 – stabbed three of his neighbours. His other sons Farid, Humayun, Kashem and Kibria played a key role in accompanying the 500 Jamaat-Shibir men, who were mostly from adjacent areas.
They marched through the village for almost an hour during the attack, leaving at least 20 injured.
So far, members of the Joint Forces have arrested five persons for their alleged involvement in the incident although the names of the arrestees could not be confirmed.
Obhoynagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Emdad Hossain said a case had been filed by Sub-inspector Mohsin Hawlader against 39 Jamaat-Shibir activists along with 250 unidentified people.
Seeking anonymity, the locals said police tried to persuade locals to file a case at 8:30pm yesterday. The OC, however, claimed that the case was filed at 6pm yesterday.
Two police camps were set up close to the affected area after the incident. Meanwhile, the office of the deputy commissioner distributed two tonnes of rice and one lakh taka to the affected families.