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Published : 29 Jul 2019, 01:15 AM
Hundreds of Santals from Madarpur village in Gobindaganj Upazila blocked the road to Dinajpur on Sunday after the news of the submission of the charge-sheet emerged.
They protested against the exclusion of former MP Abul Kalam Azad and some other key suspects named in the case started by plaintiff Thomas Hembrom.
Police charged in court 90 people, including Gobindaganj's Sapmara Union Parishad Chairman Bulbul Ahmed, UP members Shah Alam and Ayub Ali, and Rangpur Sugar Mill’s General Manager (finance) Nazmul Huda.
Police said they had arrested 20 suspects so far and one of them gave a confessional statement to the court.
The law enforcers also claimed to have recovered some goods looted from the Santal village.
In 1962, the Rangpur Sugar Mill acquired 1,840 acres of land in 18 villages occupied by the indigenous community and Bangalees for sugar cane farming.
But several years back, the Santals started protests to get their land back claiming the authorities leased it out for paddy and tobacco farming in violation of the acquisition contract.
In 2016, some of the Santals built houses in an effort to occupy 100 acres of land lost to sugarcane farming and they started roaming about the area with weapons such as bows and arrows.
On Nov 6 that year, the sugar mill's employees and police clashed with the Santals over the acquired land. Three Santals were killed and scores injured.
Hundreds of Santal homesteads were looted and set on fire. After that, the sugar mill management used tractors to clear the land.
Later, Swapan Murmu filed a case accusing 600 unidentified people.
“We think this charge-sheet has been submitted to make a mockery of the Santals,” Filimon Baske, the president of the Solidarity Committee to Recover Sahebganj-Bagdafarm Sugarcane Farm Land, said at Sunday’s demonstration.
He demanded immediate resubmission of the charge-sheet after inclusion of those accused by Hembrom.
“We have video footages, photos, eye witnesses and information against these suspects,” Baske said.
He said they would also initiate legal steps challenging the charge-sheet.
The protesters announced a news conference on Tuesday and demonstrations on Aug 10.
