Two Gaibandha Santals granted bail

Gobindaganj Judicial Magistrate ASM Taskinul Haque gave the order after a hearing in presence of the victims – Charan Soren and Bimol Kisku. The duo were shown arrested on November 9 in a case filed by the police against 42 named and 300-400 unnamed persons for obstructing the law enforcers from performing their duties during the drive. Police handcuffed them and tied ropes around their waists when they were undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital. Later the handcuffs were removed upon a High Court order. Three lawyers of Bangladesh Human Rights Commission’s Gaibandha chapter including its General Secretary Anis Mostafa Toton represented the injured Santal men during yesterday’s hearing.  

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Watch- Injured Gaibandha Santals being treated in handcuffs

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The duo and two other Santals were injured by rubber bullets when the authorities of Rangpur Sugar Mill, police and RAB conducted the eviction drive on November 6 that displaced over 2,000 families in 15 villages of Gobindaganj from their ancestral land. Several thousand Bangalis, loyal to the local MP, also took part in the drive, and looted the houses before burning them to ashes. One of the injured Shyamol Hembron succumbed to his injuries on way to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital while another Dijen Tudu is being treated at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital in Dhaka. Dijen too was handcuffed during treatment. Police removed the handcuffs on Monday. Charan and Bimol were brought to Gobindaganj on Tuesday and sent to jail through the court.