About 300 people from at least 100 families have been passing their days fearing attacks and being arrested at Sadhukhali village under Sailkuppa upazila in Jhenaidah.
Witnesses said the people escaped their houses as they had been vandalized and looted by Awami League activists. A number of houses were destroyed, they added.
The situation generated in the area following the killing of Farej Ali Mandal, a ruling party supporter, who was killed in a village clash over domination in the area on July 11.
After the killing, Kuddus Mandal, brother of the victim, filed a case accusing 78 people, who were mostly supporters of the opposition, BNP.
Following the incident, supporters of the ruling party demolished the houses. Relatives of the homeless families alleged that the attackers looted valuable belongings that are worth at least Tk10m.
A female witness said attackers also looted fishes from water bodies, cut down trees and carried them away on several carts.
Phuljan Begum, the wife of the deceased Farej Ali Mandal, admitted that a group of people have been taking advantage of her husband’s killing, and that they have looted and vandalized the properties of the accused people.
The children of the families have been not attending the school since July 12 as their parents are too scared of what might happen to them.
Witnesses said Mustak Member, Ali Hossain, Yunus Ali and Kalu, activists of the local Awami League, led the looting and vandalizing. Meraj Hossain, sub-inspector of Sailkupa police station, said, the houses of Iktiar Hossain, Rabiul Islam, Tobarek Hossain, Sanar Uddin, Abdur Razzaque, Latif Master, Abul Kashem, Amirul Islam, Manir Uddin, Alam Khan, Kobad Ali, Amirul Khan, Halim Khan, Chayan Ali, Sahidul Master along with others were looted and vandalized.
Anwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Sailkupa police station, said the situation in the area is still unstable, but they are expecting that everything will be under control in a few days.
