Attacks target houses of BNP leaders, activists

In addition to attacks on houses, over 18 incidents targeting BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists have been reported in Rajshahi, Natore, and Naogaon in the last two months. One person has been killed in such attacks. The police, however, are yet to find the people behind those attacks.

In most of the case the attackers cover their faces with masks, while in some cases they wear helmets only but do not cover faces. In some cases they flee the scene after exploding crude bombs.

For example, the house of Abu Mohammad Masum, former vice-president of Narayanganj distirct unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, student wing of BNP, came under attack thrice. The hosue is near the Rupganj police station in Narayanganj. “BCL leaders and activists” threw brick chips at the house of Abu Mohammad Masum on 1 November morning. This made his family members panicked.

But the incident does not end there. A gang of at least 50 led by a leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League of Rupganj upazila unit launched another attack on Abu Mohammad Masum’s house at night.

A video clip of the incident shows the attackers striking the main entrance of the house with machetes and iron rods. At a stage they broke into the house and vandalised the refrigerator, television, and commodes in the washrooms.

Masum’s family alleged that the attackers looted gold jewelleries and cash by breaking into an almirah.

Following the attack, Masum’s family left Rupganj and have been living in a rented house in Bashundhara residential area in Dhaka. His rented house was also vandalised on 14 November.

Abu Mohammad Masum claimed to Prothom Alo at that time that some people identifying themselves as law enforcement members entered the rented house and vandalised it.

After three days of attack at his Bashundhara residence, Masum was arrested by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from Cox’s Bazar. Later, in a media briefing, RAB claimed he was arrested on charges of setting fire to vehicles and vandalism. Masum is now in jail.

Neither Masum’s family did approach the police despite the attacks thrice, nor did any other BNP leader filed any complaint. They thought there is no benefit of seeking help from the police, rather, they apprehend, this will create more scopes of attack.

The police also did not take any initiative on their own. Instead, they have been waiting for complaints to be filed.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Narayanganj district superintendent of police Golam Mostofa Russel on Monday night said, “We don’t have information of any such attack. No victim also filed any complaint.”

“We will surely take action if we receive any complaint,” he stressed.

Most of the active leaders and activists of district and upazila level BNP are either in jail or went into hiding. Attacks are being carried out on their houses and families now.

The last such attack was recorded in the form of a bomb attack on the house of BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas in Dhaka on Tuesday morning.

Mirza Abbas’ wife Afroza Abbas, also Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal president, told news persons that two persons wearing helmets hurled the cocktails on their house. Several others were waiting on motorcycles a few metres away from the spot.

She alleged that instead of detaining the attackers, police helped them flee the scene. Police, however, have denied the allegation.

Speaking on this issue, DMP deputy commissioner in Motijheel division in the capital, Hayatul Islam Khan told Prothom Alo, “This is her political statement. She has given a political statement regarding the issue. The police force doesn’t have any involvement here.”

Crude bombs were hurled at the house of immediate past mayor of Sylhet City Corporation Ariful Haque, a BNP leader, on Tuesday night.

The highest number of attacks on houses have been reported in the Narayanganj district, where the residences of at least 63 leaders and activists of the BNP have been vandalized in the last 35 days. In Noakhali, on the night of the announcement of the schedule for the 12th parliamentary election, locally known miscreants wearing helmets attacked the homes of 14 BNP leaders and activists. Subsequently, in the following days, houses of five more BNP leaders and activists, along with a motorcycle garage, were targeted.

In Sitakundu of Chattogram, a gang of "masked" miscreants carried out attacks on the homes and businesses of four BNP leaders in the last 20 days.

The house of Asadul Habib alias Dulu, Rangpur divisional organising secretary of BNP, in Lalmonirhat was set on fire. He would use the place as his temporary office as well.

The house of deceased BNP leader Tariqul came under attack on Saturday night. Some youths, who came by riding motorcycles, hurled 25 cocktails in just 90 seconds at around 10:40 pm.

Crude bombs were hurled aiming at the house of Faraji Motiar Rahman, Abhaynagar upazila unit BNP convener in Jashore, on Wednesday night. Similar bomb attack was carried out on the house of Abhaynagar upazila unit BNP’s joint convener Moshiar Rahman on Friday night.

Despite the repeated attacks on the homes and businesses of BNP leaders, there has been no report of lodging any lawsuits. The BNP leaders said the governing party men have been carrying out the attacks with the help of police.

In this context, the police have not taken any action against the alleged perpetrators. Instead, law enforcement has been conducting raids to detain BNP leaders and activists. In instances where the individuals sought are not found, the police are reported to be detaining their relatives.

Relatives of no BNP leaders and activists went to the police station to lodge complaints following the attacks in Narayanganj’s Rupganj (34 incidents), Sonargaon (13 incidents) Araihazar (11 incidents), Fatulla (three incidents) and Siddhirganj (two incidents).

When asked about the reasons behind this hesitancy, Golam Faruq, the hiding general secretary of Narayanganj district BNP, told Prothom Alo, "In the past, when we approached the police stations in such cases, the police's attitude made it seem like we're not citizens of this country; as if we've committed crimes by seeking help from the police."

He further explained that in some instances, instead of apprehending the attackers, the police have arrested the victim leaders and activists, sending them to jail.

The family members of BNP leaders and activists, who are in hiding, live in their homes under constant fear of being attacked.

For instance, an attack was carried out at the house of union Jubo Dal president Mohammad Alamgir on Saturday night. His wife Mariam Begum and their three children were in the house at the time.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Mariam said that her husband had gone into hiding in fear of getting arrested. The couple has two sons and a daughter. One of their children is 11-month-old. The children started crying in fear due to the loud blast of crude bomb explosion in the middle of the night. Then the men in masks threw signal lights generally used by the ships towards her. She cowered with her children at one corner of the room.

Mirza Abbas’ wife Afroza Abbas was at the home when some miscreants blasted crude bomb in front of their house. Late BNP leader Tariqul Islam’s wife and convener of Jashore district BNP Nargis Begum was alone in the house during the attack. Family members of the local leaders and activists of BNP, whose houses came under attack, were in the house during all the incidents.

The BNP leaders and activists were not at home during the attacks by the miscreants wearing helmets in Noakhali on Wednesday. For instance, local Jubo Dal leader Sala Uddin was not at home during the attack. His sick mother, father, wife and children were there at the time.

Sala Uddin’s elder brother Nur Uddin was the general secretary of Bashurhat poura (municipal) unit of Swchchhasebak League. He is not affiliated with politics anymore. Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said, “They are living in fear.”

Asked whether he had filed any complaint with the police or not, the former Swechchhasebak League leader said, “The locals saw three members of police behind the attackers during the incident. What is the use of filing a complaint to somebody who supported the attackers?”

The police have denied the allegations, stating that nobody has filed any complaints regarding the incidents. Pranab Chowdhury, the Officer-in-charge (OC) of the Companiganj police station, informed Prothom Alo that no one has submitted a complaint about the incident. However, an investigation is underway.

He further clarified, "Police didn't file any case on their own initiative as they are not confirmed as to exactly what happened there yet."

Prothom Alo reached out to various police officials at the district and upazila levels regarding the recent attacks. All officials reiterated that no complaints had been filed over these incidents. Meanwhile, BNP leaders, activists, and their family members are expressing skepticism about the efficacy of filing complaints with the police, suggesting a lack of trust in the law enforcement process.

The victims have alleged that in some cases the attackers looted cash and jewelry. Speaking to Prothom Alo, Bahar Uddin, organising secretary of Krishak Dal’s Amanullahpur union unit in Noakhali, said, “The local leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League and its associate bodies vandalised his house and looted Tk 125,000 in cash and two cell phones.

However, the local Awami League unit has denied the allegation.

Meanwhile Chanpara rehabilitation centre Jubo Dal vice-president Md Akram and his brother local BNP leader Md Dulal are in hiding now.

Some 20-25 youths, armed with local weapons, attacked their house. According to the witnesses, the attackers vandalised the house for about five hours. The victims claimed that the attackers looted Tk 200,000 in cash, eight bharis of gold jewelry and 360 pairs of pigeons. They even brought seven vans to carry the furniture.

When this correspondent went to Akram’s house, they denied making any comments in this regard anymore.

The police said they would take action if somebody files any complaint.

The Awami League and the BNP stand as the two major political parties in the country, with a significant portion of the population supporting either of these parties. While clashes between their activists have been ongoing for decades, a new trend of targeting specific leaders' houses is considered particularly perilous, according to political analysts. They argue that if political animosity escalates to attacks on the family members and residences of leaders and activists, it could pose a risk of social chaos in the future.

Supreme Court lawyer and a teacher of law at the Gono Bishwabidyalay Shahdeen Malik told Prothom Alo that, “The inclusion of miscreants in politics has been going on for a long time. Now, we can say that politics is now under the control of the miscreants. And the attacks in the houses of political leaders are reflections of that. Now there is a notion among the people that the police won’t solve the problem. Rather, they will cause further harassment.”

Regarding the coexistence of supporters of the two parties, Malik commented, "There were incidents where two brothers from the same family were members of different political parties due to ideological differences. One day, these incidents of attacks may spiral beyond the control of the state. The lack of security may become a regular phenomenon in people's lives in the future."

[Staff correspondents of Chattogram and Noakhali, correspondents of Jashore and Lalmonirhat and a contributor from Narayanganj have helped prepare this report]