Both sides panic after ‘encounters’

Families of those killed in ‘two encounters’ in Khulna’s Dumuria and Paikgachha Upazilas are now apprehensive of ‘police harassment’.

College teacher Prasant Kumar Dhali, whose abduction sparked the so-called encounters between police and his alkeged kidnappers, is in panic over possible attacks by the cohorts of ‘the slain robbers”. So are his relatives.

Police, however, said no relative of the deceased would be harassed ‘unnecessarily’ and claimed security had been ratcheted up in Deluti Union under Paikgachha, where Dhali and his relatives live.

According to police, the 13 people killed in two encounters on Oct 5 were ‘active members of notorious pirate gang Kashem Bahini’, but their families and locals rubbish the claim.

Police said ‘two members of the Bahini' were killed in the first encounter’ at Jhilbunia village under Paikgachha early in the day when police tried to rescue Dhali from Jhilbunia under Deluti union.

They said the 11 others were killed when “they tried to flee from police custody during an encounter between police and Kashem Bahini” at Gangrokkhir Char under Sundarbans' Dumuria.

Houses of most of the murdered are in Dumuria, around 50 kilometres from the place wherefrom Dhali was abducted.

On a visit to Paikgachha, both resentment and panic were found in the families of those killed.

They said police were trying to find out if any other members of these families were ‘robbers’.

Abdul Aziz Sheikh, father of Akhirul, said police were summoning relatives of the murdered.

He told bdnews24.com: “Police came to our house after the incident. They asked me to go to Dumuria Police Station, but I didn’t. Now I’m scared of harm that they might inflict on us.”

Mohsin Hossain, cousin of Rubel Sheikh, said: “We heard police claimed that Rubel named some people before he died. Now we are in panic, we fear police harassment.”

On the other hand, teacher Dhali is avoiding contact with anyone outside the family. Former Deluti union council chairman Nirmal Mandal said even the relatives of the teacher kept their mobile phones switched off.

He told bdnew24.com: “Prasant and his family don't want to talk to anybody. They’re in great fear.”

Deluti Union Chairman Samarkanti Halder said: “Our locality is very close to the Sundarbans and surrounded by rivers. The security here is very thin. That’s why Prasant and his family are in panic.”

He said locals were guarding the area overnight. “Everyone has been asked to stay at tea stalls and yards (at night) to resist robbers if they come.”

Police officer Abdul Jalil, who is in charge of Deluti union outpost, told bdnews24.com: “A patrol team of police is maintaining security of the area of Prasant's family. The people there are now more or less without fear.”

He, however, said Dhali was not in the area.

Khulna Superintendent of Police Md Habibur Rahman said adequate number of policemen had been deployed in the area where the college teacher lived.

To a question over the fear of the families of the deceased, he said: “Police won’t harass anyone unnecessarily. However, efforts are on to determine if anyone is involved with the pirate gang.”