Families of Gopalganj clash victims unwilling to file cases
Relatives of those killed during the recent clash over the National Citizen Party (NCP) rally in Gopalganj have said they do not want to file lawsuits over the deaths.
While mourning the death of his brother Deepto Saha, Sanjay Saha said they had been managing their family business since 2013, after their father's death. Now, with his brother gone too, he is left alone. Who will he seek justice from?
“I do not know which policeman or which army personnel opened fire – so who would I sue? If I knew who killed him, I would file a case. But now that I have lost my brother, I do not want to deal with the trouble of filing a lawsuit,” he said.
Deepto was killed during the attack and clashes centering the NCP’s July March in Gopalganj. Not only Deepto’s family but also the relatives of other victims have shown no interest in taking legal action.
Five people died in the incident – Deepto Saha (18), Sohel Molla (35), Imon Talukdar (18), Ramzan Munshi (35), and Ramzan Kazi (18). When visited on Saturday, their families expressed reluctance to file cases.
Ramzan Kazi’s father is physically ill and cannot move. Ramzan was raised by his uncle Kalim Munshi, who told Prothom Alo that they have not yet considered any legal steps.
“What is the point of filing a case? When I took my nephew’s body to the police station, I could not enter there. When we took him to the hospital for the second time, they even refused to allow us to stand at the hospital for an autopsy. Who will we seek justice from? We will seek from Allah only.”
Sohel Molla was the only child of his parents. His uncle Zahidul Islam Talukdar echoed similar frustration. “My brother-in-law is old and struggles to move. Besides, who would we file a case against? Did we see who fired the shots? My nephew’s body was not even autopsied. That is why my brother-in-law does not want to get entangled in a case.”
Jamal Munshi, the elder brother of Ramzan Munshi, said, “Will filing a case bring my brother back? Will we get justice? Can anyone guarantee that? That is why we are unwilling to file a case.”
Asked about this, Rana Bhuiyan, cousin of Imon, cited the family’s financial hardship. “My uncle is mentally unwell. My aunt is devastated with grief. They struggle to maintain daily life. How will they afford running a case? This is why they do not want to file any case.”
Gopalganj Sadar Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Mir Mohammad Sajedur Rahman told Prothom Alo that none of the victims’ families have filed a case so far. “If they do not come forward, we will consult higher authorities to decide the next steps,” he said.