A Shaheed Minar located on Jadubaira Secondary School premises in Kumarkhali upazila, Kushtia has been damaged by miscreants early Thursday.
The heinous incident has taken place just one day ahead of the International Mother Language day.
Teachers, students of the school and locals have demanded bringing the culprits to book through fair investigation into the incident.
Local Awami League leaders have blamed Jamaat-Shibir for the incident while Jamaat-BNP leaders have refuted the allegation saying that the incident was done by a quarter in a planned way to harass the opposition activists on the occasion of upazila election slated to be held on February 27.
Kismat Ali, who lives near the school, said over 100 people equipped with arms and wearing clothes on their faces suddenly held his family members hostage at gun point about 2am and asked them not to make any sound.
After 10 minutes, we heard the sound of something for two hours, which made us frightened, said Kismat.
Local people found the Shaheed Minar damaged this (Thursday) morning.
There was Jadubaira police camp 200 yards off the school, but no police came to the spot despite the sound, said Kismat.
Local people had built the Shahid Minar several years after language movement in 1952.
In-charge of Jadubaira police camp assistant sub-inspector Jahir said: “We were not informed about the incident at night as we were on election duty at that time. We came to know about it in the morning”.
School headmaster Sunil Kumar Roy said it is upto the law enforcers to find out those responsible for the incident.
Keeping his identity secret, a local former government official said certain quarter committed the crime to gain benefit by defeating their rivals in the upazila polls scheduled for Feb 27.
Ameer of Kumarkhali thana unit Jamaat Sohrab Uddin, also a teacher of the school, said a quarter has done the act in order to blame others ahead of the upazila polls. He stressed for fair probe saying that perpetrators can be identified only through fair investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, after receiving the news, local high officials rushed to the spot and assured locals that drive has been launched for nabbing the perpetrators.
Kushtia police super Mofiz Uddin Ahmed termed the incident regretful saying that the offenders would be arrested irrespective of their position.
DC and SP have visited the damaged Shaheed Minar at Jadubaira Secondary School.
Students have staged demonstrations in front of the damaged Shaheed Minar at Jadubaira Secondary School.
