‘What did I do wrong?’ asks Raozan arson victim

Even after a month, the residents of Raozan have not been able to forget the harrowing memory of their homes being set on fire

Months after the Raozan arson attack, victims have said they are still struggling to recover from the trauma of being locked inside their homes as Hindu houses were set ablaze.

Arati Shil breaks down in tears as she points to the burnt trees that have yet to regain life and the charred tin sheets and a steel cupboard piled in one corner of her home.

Even after a month of the attack, the woman in her fifties cannot forget the night her house was set on fire.

“I have passed a horrible year. What is my fault? Why does happiness not come to me?” she said as she wept.

The Sultanpur residence of Arati and her husband Sulal Shil, also known as Sukh Shil, was set ablaze in the early hours of Dec 23, with the doors locked from the outside.

The fire destroyed the house and everything inside, but the family was able to escape by cutting through the fence.

Several other houses were set on fire in different areas of Raozan around the same time. The targets were home to minority communities.

On Sunday, Arati told bdnews24.com how she had cut through the fences to make a daring escape, carrying her 1-and-a-half-year-old grandchild in her arms.

Arati’s daughter-in-law was the first to spot the fire that day.

“Everyone tried to open the doors to get out but they would not budge. We eventually cut through the fences with a sickle and escaped,” Arati said.

“The fire spread quickly. Neighbours rushed over, but by the time they extinguished the fire, everything had already been burned,” she added.

Sukh and his two sons migrated to Qatar and the UAE for work.

His nephew Mithun Shil returned on a five-month leave from the UAE to live with his parents, who were also the residents of the house targeted by the arson.

“My passport, my Dubai work permit card -- everything was kept together. The fire burned it all,” he said.

The police had reported the arrest of seven people in connection with the incident.

Police said people involved in the incident were active leaders and members of a “banned organisation”.

About a month after the incident, a delegation of civil society members visited the victims on Sunday.

Robaet Ferdous, a professor at Dhaka University, was a member of the team.

He said the attack did not resemble a burglary attempt, as the houses were locked from the outside to prevent the victims from leaving.

“The attackers intended to kill. They tried to burn people to death. This is extremely horrifying and heartbreaking,” he said.

He alleged that the police are not giving the incident enough attention and urged that the real culprits be brought to justice.

He said an accurate assessment of the burned homes and property losses must be made, and victims should receive full compensation.