Altercation with Shamim Osman: Family in fear after attack on JCD leader

Family members of US expatriate Badal Mirza are yet to return home two days after a crude bomb was hurled at their house and their home vandalised by members of ruling party student wing Chhatra League. The family did not file any complaint to police either.

Badal Mirza’s elder brother Hasanur Zaman was contacted several times on phone and Whatsapp for his comment as to why the family didn’t take any legal action, but couldn’t be reached.

US expatriate former Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leader Badal Mirza got into an altercation with Awami League MP Shamim Osman in New York’s Jackson Heights on Wednesday. Chhatra League leaders later attacked the house of Badal in Noakhali’s Sunaimuri. Chhatra League leaders aired the incident of attack live on Facebook.

A neighbor said the attackers created a fearful situation by exploding crude bombs and vandalising the house of Badal following a minor incident in the US. Badal’s family is feeling insecure and afraid of returning home. Nobody knows where they are as they don’t even contact the neighbors.

Joyag union parishad’s former chairman and BNP leader Mahbub Alam said the family members of Badal are too afraid to return home or to take legal action.

Shawkat Akbar, current chairman of the union supported by Awami League, said he was not present at the area when the incident of attack took place.

He said Badal, who is also his relative, went to South Africa some 12 years ago.

Sonaimuri upazila Chhatra League president Delwar Hossain said, “Shamim Osman is a pride of the country. Insulting him is tantamount to insulting all of us. Badal Mirza spoke ill of Awami League and our leader Sheikh Hasina. We can’t tolerate that as activists of Chhatra League and that’s why they hold protests in front of his house. Some agitated leaders and activists attacked and vandalised his house at that time.”

Ziaul Haque, officer in charge of Sonaimuri police station, told Prothom Alo that police visited Badal’s house hearing the news of the attack. But no family members of Badal were found that time.

Action would be taken upon investigation if anyone files any written complaint, he added.

Shamim Osman, AL MP from Narayanganj-4, went to Little Bangladesh in Jackson Heights of New York on Wednesday evening. Spotting Shamim Osman, New York unit BNP leader Rabbi, Badal Mirza and some others booed him. Shamim Osman went up and talked to them. An awkward situation ensued. The video footage of the incident went viral on Facebook.