Published : 07 Nov 2025, 04:23 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 02:41 PM
The trial of the murder of three Santals in Gobindaganj Upazila, Gaibandha, has yet to take place after nine years, as the government’s promised action remains unfulfilled.
On Thursday, marking the ninth anniversary of the killings, speakers at separate events in Gaibandha and Gobindaganj called for justice, saying the Santal community continues to live in “fear and insecurity”.
On Nov 6, 2016, authorities from Rangpur Sugar Mill in Gobindaganj Upazila attempted to evict the ethnic community from their homes.
Clashes broke out between the Santals and police, along with sugar mill workers and employees, leaving 30 Santals injured.
During the collision, several Santal houses were set on fire. Among those injured, Mangal Mardi, Ramesh Tudu, and Shyamal Hembrom later died.
In this incident, Thomas Hembrom filed a murder case against then MP Abul Kalam Azad, former Upazila chairman Bulbul Akanda, and 33 others.
In the morning, wreaths were laid and candles lit at a temporary martyr’s altar in Joypur village of Gobindaganj Upazila, marking the anniversary of the killings.
Protest rallies from Madarpur and Joypur converged on the Gobindaganj-Dinajpur highway before gathering at the Nimtala intersection in Sahebganj.
Another procession in Gaibandha town also demanded justice for the murders.
In the afternoon, a group working to retrieve the Sahebganj Bagda farmland held a rally at the Nimtala intersection.
Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) General Secretary Abdullah Al Kafee said, “Nine years have passed, and the murder case has not been tried yet.
“The injured Santals are living in unbearable pain due to a lack of proper treatment. Some are crippled, while some are suffering from bullet splinters in their bodies.”
Abdullah demanded the trial of the murderers, the arrest of the suspects, compensation for the Santals affected by the looting and arson of their houses, and a halt to the construction of Export Processing Zones (EPZ) on the “blood-soaked” crop lands of the Santals.
Gaibandha Adivasi-Bengali Samhati Parishad Convenor Sirajul Islam Babu described the current status of the murder case, saying the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted the charge sheet to the court on Jul 23, 2019.
However, the plaintiffs objected that 11 people, including the main suspects, were not listed as defendants, he added.
The court then transferred the investigation to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Dec 23, 2019.
On Nov 2, 2020, the CID submitted the full PBI charge sheet to the court, but the plaintiffs raised objections again.
On Sept 12, 2024, the court assigned the additional district superintendent of police to conduct further investigation.
However, the updated charge sheet has not been submitted yet.
