Fear of fresh Jamaat-Shibir attack grips Satkhira

SATKHIRA, Jan 3 (UNB): Fear of fresh attack haunts the local Awami League (AL) activists and minority community members here despite a little abatement in widespread violence by Jamaat-Shibir following recent drives of the joint forces.
Most of the ruling party activists and minority people who earlier fled homes following attacks by Jamaat-Shibir men are yet to return fearing fresh attacks.
Amid such situation, the candidates of the January 5 polls in the parliamentary seats in Satkhira did not brave electioneering in most places under their respective constituencies.
As a result, a large number of voters have not learnt about the contestants and their election symbols when only less than two days are left for the national election.
Besides, the voters interested in casting votes now feel insecurity.
Thus, the prevailing situation is likely to reduce voters' turnout greatly in the Sunday's national election in the district.
Talking to the news agency, locals said activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra unleashed violence in the district as International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) awarded death penalty to their leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee for committing crimes against humanity during the country's war of independence in 1971.
According to available sources, 40 people lost lives and several others were injured in Jamaat-Shibir violence in the district in the last 10 months.
Since the conviction of Sayedee, Jamaat-Shibir activists continued attacks on pro-liberation people, AL leaders and activists and members of the minority communities, damaged their houses and properties, forcing many of them to flee their homes.
Later, to contain the violence, joint forces comprising members of police, Rapid Action Battalion and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) started conducting drives in places across the district on December 16, leading the anarchists either to go into hiding or flee the areas.
An investigation found that the fleeing AL activists and minority people have not returned home yet fearing fresh attacks on them.
Many of them on condition of anonymity said marauding Jamaat-Shibir activists, who are now on the run due to drives by the joint forces, might start violent activities again after the end of the crackdown.
The district is divided into four parliamentary constituencies out of which voting will be held in Satkhira-1 (Tala and Kalaroa upazilas) and Satkhira-2 (Sadar upazila).
Two candidates are contesting in Satkhira-1 while four in Satkhira-2.
The lone candidates in Satkhira-3 and Satkhira-4 constituencies were elected lawmakers uncontested.
Advocate Mostafa Lutfullah, AL-led 14-party alliance candidate for Satkhira-1, said some areas of Tala and Kalaroa upazilas are Jamaat-dominated, adding that general people there are still passing their time in panic and many of them left home for elsewhere in fear of attacks.
He alleged that Jamaat-Shibir men are in a move to intimidate voters in most areas, including Joynagar, Jalalabad, Gopinathpur, Saraskathi and Deyara of Kalaroa Upazila, into refraining from going to cast votes.
"Minority people have been told that they would be killed if they go to polling centres," added Mostafa.
Criticising the law enforcers for not arresting the Jamaat-Shibir activists from those areas, the 14-party candidate said members of the law enforcing agencies are not conducting drive in the areas though Jamaat-Shibir men are moving there freely.
Independent candidate Saiful Karim Sabu of Satkhira-2 said he could not carry out election campaign in eight out of 14 unions under the constituency for it being Jamaat-dominated.
According to media reports, Jamaat men swooped on Sabu's election campaign on Wednesday leaving three of his supporters injured.
Echoing the duo, another contestant of the same constituency Mir Mostak Ahmed said he could not visit all the areas ahead of election due to resistance by the Jamaat-Shibir.
Saying that people are apprehending further violence by Jamaat-Shibir, the 14 party alliance candidate suggested that the law enforcers conduct combing operation against the Jamaat-Shibir men so that voters do not face obstacles in exercising their franchise.