A joint rally was held at the Gobindaganj municipal Shaheed Minar marking the two years of Santal assassination in the area on Tuesday, organized by the Sahebganj-Bagdafarm Bhumi Uddhar Sangram Committee,Jatiya Adivasi Parishad, Bangladesh Adivasi Union, Adivasi-Banglali Sanghati Parishad and Janauddog.
Sahebganj-Bagdafarm Bhumi Uddhar Sangram Committee President Philemon Basak presided over the program.
Regarding the present situation former Caretaker Government Adviser and Human Rights Activist Sultana Kamal said: "This was cruel and inhuman; a serious violation of human rights which is very shameful for a country like ours: we demand justice."
"We want to emphasize that the natives of this land must be brought back. The government has to compensate them, so that they can at least get back to their normal life."
The screenshot of a video shows a man setting a Santal house on fire right in front of RAB and police personnel in Gobindaganj on November 6, 2016 | Collected from Facebook
Oikya NAP Central Committee President Pankaj Bhattacharya said:"The Santals and Bengali farmers of Shahebganj were attacked on purpose and assassinated by the police and local miscreants on 6th November, 2016. Miscreants hired by the sugar mill owner set fire to their homes right in front of the police. Police killed three Santal men that day. But even after two years since the incident none of the main accused, including the local MP Abul Kalam Azad and UP Chairman Shakil Akand Bulbul have been arrested."
The speakers also expressed their anger over the delay in providing compensation and recovering the lost land of the Santals by the concerned government departments.
Among others Retired Judge of the Bangladesh Supreme Court Appellate Division Nizamul Haque Nasim, Human Rights and Land Rights activist Shamsul Huda, Presidium Member of the Communist Party of Bangladesh Mihir Ghosh, Jatiya Adivasi Parishad Central President Rabindranath Sareen, Adivasi-Banglai Sangati Parishad Gaibandha Convener Advocate Sirajul Islam Babu, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Basad) Naogaon District Coordinator Jainal Abedin Mukul, Workers Party Rangpur District Secretary Ashok Sarker, JSD Gaibandha President Lashon Khan Rintu, JSD Rangpur Metropolitan President Gautam Roy, Bhumi Uddhar Sangram Committee General Secretary Jafrul Islam Pradhan , Nari Adivasi Leader Prisila Murmu, Adivasi Leader Sufol Hembram, Barnabas Tudu and Dwijen Tudu were also present at the rally.
On 6 November 2016, the police and sugar mill employees clashed with the Santal people over the issue of cutting sugarcane on the Rangpur sugar mills land and ownership of some land.
Three Santal men were killed during the clashes and 20 people, including the police, were injured in the incident.