An Indigenous youth leader has been slaughtered in his residence by unidentified miscreants at Moyenpur village under Tanore upazila of Rajshahi.
The deceased Santhal youth is Bablu Hembrom, 26, son of Moheswar Hembrom.
Bablu Hembrom, a central committee member of Santhal Student Union was slaughtered in his home on Thursday night.
The indigenous leader recently completed post-graduation from Rajshahi College, family sources said.
Officer-in-Charge Anwar Hossain of Tanore Police Station confirmed the incident to the Dhaka Tribune.
“On information, a team of police rushed to the home of Bablu at 10am on Friday and sent the body to the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) morgue for autopsy,” he said.
The youth might be slaughtered by some unidentified miscreants in his bedroom in midnight but the motive behind the killing could not be identified immediately, OC Anwar said.
We are trying to arrest the miscreants and an investigation will launch soon, a murder case was filed in this connection, he informed.
Jatiya Adivashi Parishad (Rajshahi unit) has called a three-day protest rally demanding immediate arrest of the killers of the Santhal youth leader.
Bimol Rajiun, president of the indigenous platform confirmed the Dhaka tribune.
He said: “We want immediate arrest of killers of Santhal leader Bablu Hembrom who was outspoken activist for indigenous rights.”
We will continue our protest until our demands are met, he added.
Bimol Rajiun also suspected that Bablu might be murdered for his recent activism for indigenous rights.
Bablu Hembrom was outspoken indigenous activist and protested recent sexual harassments, assaults and land grabbing attempts on Santhals in the area, Sushanto Soren a Santhal student told the Dhaka Tribune.
Mentioning Chapainwabganj rape incident and Bablu killing Sushato said, “I am a Santhal and a citizen of Bangladesh. All Bangladeshi people have same rights but we are living with such harassments.”
On November 29, 2014, two local culprits; Ariful and Ziaurul vigorously dragged a 28-year-old Santhal housewife from her house at Jugidaing village in Chapainawabganj district around 11pm and took her to a nearby mango orchard and raped her.
The victim lodged a case with Chapainawabganj model police station accusing the two on December 1.
In protest, more than 200 indigenous people joined the human chain and paraded the main streets with their demand. They also submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner (DC) to take immediate action to arrest the rapists.
They also threatened to launch a tougher agitation programme in the northern districts if the criminals were not arrested within 48 hours.
The indigenous leaders and victim’s family alleged that the accused are still threatening the family of the victim repeatedly to withdraw the case.
