gay bandha: The peaceful people of Gaibandha district do not want a repeat of the incident of killing eight innocent people including women and children by hurling petrol bombs on buses in the name of strike-blockade and vandalizing and setting fire to hundreds of trucks.
Many vehicles were vandalized on roads and highways during the hartal-blockade called by BNP-Jamaat before and after the last 11th National Assembly elections.
Many cars were set on fire. Among them, cargo trucks were significant. Due to this, many businessmen including truck owners are sitting on the road.
In the pursuit of the picketers, the vehicle overturned and there was a loss of life. There were incidents like burning of numerous schools to cutting of several paved roads and bridges.
In continuation of this, the heart-wrenching incident of remembrance happened on February 6, 2015 amid the strike-blockade called by BNP-Jamaat on allegations of rigging in the national elections of January 5, 2014.
On that day, a petrol bomb was hit on a Dhaka-bound bus from Sunderganj in Gaibandha. Eight people including women and children lost their lives.
Meanwhile, the election commission has announced the upcoming 12th parliamentary election schedule. Under the current government, the polling day has been fixed on January 7. But the BNP and like-minded parties have said that they will not participate in any election under the Awami League government. For this reason, like-minded parties including BNP-Jamaat have started a movement to demand the resignation of the Awami League government and elections under a neutral caretaker government.
They are calling for blockades and hartals from time to time in order to realize their demands.
As a result, various fears have arisen in the minds of the people of all levels of the district from the bitter experience gained in the past. No one wants to repeat those destructive events. They say, the opposition party can carry out any democratic movement program for logical reasons, but not sabotage.
Talking to the people of different areas of Gaibandha Sadar Upazila, such opinions were obtained.
Gaibandha is the talk
Social Struggle Council convener Jahangir with Kabir Tanu. He said that the opposition party will protest and stand on the streets to realize their logical demands, it is their right. But programs that harm the people and the country are not desirable. The instability prevailing in the national politics at present should be expressed in a democratic manner.
According to him, in the name of strike-blockade, there is no country in the world where there are activities like creating obstacles on the roads, setting fire to vehicles, and killing people by burning them on fire. Therefore, we want the political parties to carry out their own programs within the democratic system. Overall, people do not want a repeat of 2013-2014. By doing this, nothing will be achieved except alienation.
Saidur Rahman Master, general secretary of Palashbari upazila branch of Citizens for Good Governance (Sujan), said that we support the movement of the opposition parties to ensure people’s right to vote. But it should be done in a democratic way. We do not want sabotage in the name of strike-blockade. Ordinary people should not be victims of post-election violence. For that purpose, both the government and opposition parties should be responsible.
Chandipur Union Parishad (UP) Chairman of Sundarganj Upazila, Mehdi Mostafa Masum said that a petrol bomb was attacked on a Dhaka-bound passenger bus from Sundarganj during the strike called by BNP-Jamaat on allegations of rigging in the national elections of January 5, 2014. Eight people including women and children lost their lives. Most of their houses are in my union. All are working people. We do not want continuation of past heartbreaking events in the name of movement. We do not want the loss of lives of common people.
On February 6, 2015, eight people, including children, died in a petrol bomb attack on a Dhaka-bound passenger bus called Napu Enterprise during the BNP and Jamaat-Shibir alliance strike at Tulsighat in Sadar Upazila of Gaibandha.
On that day, the Napu Enterprise bus was going to Dhaka with 50-60 passengers from Seecha Panchpir of Sundarganj Upazila. On the way, the bus was attacked by miscreants at a place called Burirghar on the Gaibandha-Palashbari road in front of the rural electricity office around 10:30 pm. The coach caught fire instantly and six people were killed on the spot. Later two others died while undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
The deceased are Abul Kalam Azad (30) son of Abdul Gafur Miar of Malibari union of Sadar upazila, Zilhaj Ali (35) of West Komrani village of Kholahati union, Syed Ali (42) son of Khaybar Hossain Dulu of Dakshin Kali Khamar village of Sundarganj upazila, Saib Miar of West Seecha village. Daughter Halima Begum (42), Suman Mia (22) son of Shajahan Ali of Chandipur village, Shilpi Rani Das (10) daughter of Balram Das of the same village and Sonavan Bibi (45) wife of Tara Mia of Chandipur village and son Sujan Mia (10).
Bangladesh Time: 1905 hours, November 20, 2023
SI
