Biharis in panic, insecurity with repeated attack, clash

Staff Correspondent----------------Iqbal Mahmud

The Urdu-speaking community people were passing their days in insecurity and
panicked as there have been repeated attacks on them and clashes with law
enforcers in last few days
! "resh clash erupted between stranded #akistanis and police in Mohammadpur$s
%eneva Camp on Monday afternoon as the Urdu speaking people were staging
hunger strike and sit-in protesting an attack on the &ihari camp at 'alshi in the
capital
The clash occurred two days after the gruesome arson attack on Saturday at
#akistani relief camp in 'alshi that burnt nine people to death and another gunned
down
The stranded #akistanis people and their leaders said that they have been facing
threats and adverse attitudes from the lawmakers( administration and law
enforcement agencies
)uman rights watch dogs were also blaming the influential lawmaker and police
for the repressive actions
The Stranded #akistanis %eneral *epatriation Committee general secretary
Shawkat !li told +ew !ge that they are being victimi,ed by lawmakers who lusts
to grab their land and the most unfortunate that they are also getting accused in
cases
-arlier on Saturday( nine people including eight members of a family were burnt
alive as locals set several houses on fire at 'alshi &ihari camp in Mirpur in a series
of clashes with &ihari people over firecracker e.plosion !nother &ihari man died
after being hit by bullets during the attack
The following day( they were barred from staging demonstration there They were
even not allowed to file cases seeking /ustice( alleged the Urdu-speaking people
0alaluddin( president of 'urmitola &ihari camp said that the lawmaker -lias
Mollah( visited their camp in 'alshi on 0une 11 for taking an illegal electricity
connection form their transformer which they use without paying any bill
&iharis ob/ected to the move that had led to brief scuffles between the Urdu-
speaking people and Mollah$s men 2Mollah then threatened us with consequences
and a case was filed against us($ said 0alaluddin
&iharis said that this not the sole incidents They often face cases( threats(
harassments
+i,amuddin( a residents of %eneva Camp( said that often law enforcers arrest them
to display their success and with the instruction from influential people
The #akistani relief camp residents alleged that they have become an ob/ect of
political gains The politicians are /ust using them
23uring election( they politicians from both dominant groups say that we are their
brothers and sisters They would do everything for us !fter assuming power( they
/ust forget us and e.ploit and even grab our rights($ said Shawkat
)uman rights watchdog !in o Salish 'endra$s e.ecutive director Sultana 'amal
said that police and administration cannot deny its failure to check the incident that
had put the Urdu speaking people in insecurity
2#olice is one of the accused by locals in the incident 4e doubt fair probe by
police since they are accused($ the human rights activist said
Moulik 5dhikar Shurokkha Committee representative included C* !brar(
president of human rights watchdog 5dhikar( "arida !khter( +ur 'han( +asiruddin
-lan( )ana Shams !hmed had visited the arson attacked spot in 'alshi on
Monday
They critici,ed police role saying that police opened indiscriminate firing with the
provocation of local lawmaker
Meanwhile( locals also alleged that police were still playing adverse role against
them as the law enforcers had took side for local lawmaker -lias Uddin Mollah
-ven( police filed two cases and forced civilians filling more four cases with
#allabi police station in connection with the arson attack and killings against &ihari
people( Md Munna )osain( a resident of 'urmitola relief camp
)owever( Mirpur police deputy commissioner Imtia, !hmed brushed aside the
allegation 2They might have told it with ill motives($ the 3C said
)e said that the &iharis have ignited the incident and they must face the
consequence
The stranded #akistanisin Mohammadpur$s %eneva Camp staged a sit-in in the
area protesting the 'alshi attack that killed 16 people( nine of them were burned
alive inside their house in the camp on early Saturday
The &iharis took to the Shah/ahan *oad from 17866 noon demanding the
punishment of Mirpur-19 lawmaker -lias Uddin Mollah and his associates and
immediate release of the &iharis arrested during the attack on 'urmitola &ihari
The clash erupted around :81;pm when a team of police( led by Te/gaon police
additional deputy commissioner 4ahidul Islam( went there <ocals hurled
brickbats at police and forced them to move backward
#olice also retaliated by opening a round of blank fire
4ahidul said that they went there to discuss with &ihari leaders and request them
for not to block the road
<ater( a team Stranded #akistanis %eneral *epatriation Committee sat in a meeting
with Te/gaon division deputy commissioner &iplab 'umar
The S#%*C general secretary Shawkat !li told +ew !ge that they demanded
compensation for the victims in the attacked( e.emplary punishment of the
attackers( including the lawmaker and 0uba <eague men( and immediate
withdrawal of cases filed against them
#olice assured that they can continue their peaceful movement( he said
#allabi !3C Moinul )asan said that they have identified the people who provoked
the clash and arson attack )e( however( denied disclosing the name for the sake of
investigation
There are =6 camps for stranded #akistani people in the country where over three
lakh people live in congested atmosphere
The Urdu-speaking &iharis are descendants of Muslim refugees who fled from
India after the partition of 1>:=( fearing communal riots
3uring the 1>=1 &angladesh$s <iberation 4ar( some factions supported 4est
#akistan resulting in conflict and forceful deportation of thousands &ut the rest
remained and moved into refugee camps and continue to be looked down upon
!round 176(666 stranded #akistanis was airlifted to #akistan in 1>=:
In 766?( about 1;6(666 &iharis( who were minors at the time of the liberation war
of 1>=1 or born after were given citi,enship rights They were able to vote for the
first time
-nd