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More arson in Natore

Over 100 BNP musclemen torch 15 more houses, 12 shops in wake of Gama killing

Roving Correspondent, Natore
Over 100 arsonists allegedly led by a deputy minister’s relatives and BNP activists looted and torched 15 more houses and 12 shops at the Awami League-dominated Shahpara and Amtali Bazar in the village yesterday morning, creating a reign of terror in the area.
People of Shahpara were living in insecurity since February 7 when BNP activists torched some 16 houses in retaliation for the murder of Sabbir Ahmed Gama, nephew of Deputy Minister for Land Ruhul Kuddus Talukdar Dulu.
The two-hour rampage yesterday was led by Dollar and Dalim, both nephews of the deputy minister. The houses torched yesterday included some half-burnt ones in the previous arson.
The attackers looted everything in the houses and shops, then set those afire spraying green coloured gunpowder. They also netted fish from three ponds at the village.
Talking to The Daily Star, deputy minister Dulu denied that BNP men were involved in the incident and claimed some angry villagers who loved Gama were responsible for it.
About involvement of his relatives, he said he would take stern action against them if it were true.
"Agitated villagers committed it when they came to know people from the village were directly involved in murdering Gama," Dulu said.
Asked about such retaliatory attacks, he said, "Although I condemn the incident and consider it unfair, there must be a limit to things like killing. They (AL) are killing our men one after another and if the killings go without any protest, the killers will be encouraged."
The torched houses belonged to Foyez Uddin Shah, father of Naldanga thana AL general secretary; SM Feroz Shah, Naldanga thana AL vice president; Ansar Ali Shah, Ahad Ali Shah, Momin Ali Shah, Masu Shah, Fuad Shah, Shahin Shah, Abbas Ali Shah, Rafiqul Haque Shah, Fatik Shah, Dr Moslem Uddin Shah, Moksed Ali Shah, Shahabuddin Shah, Emdadul Shah and Saidur Rahman Shah.
The shops are owned by Ahad Ali Shah (furniture store), Dr Moslem (dispensary cum drug store), Shahabuddin Shah (jewellery shop), Sudhir Shah (grocery), Amjad Ali (tea stall), Yakub Ali (rice store), Fuad Ali Shah (barber's shop), Almaj Ali Shah (tailoring shop), Fatik Shah (fertiliser shop), Shafiqul Shah (bi-cycle shop) and Nazrul Islam (radio repair shop).
Witnesses said the arsonists barged into the village with firearms
and lethal weapons at around 10:00am and looked for some youths. Failing to find them out, the attackers first set fire to the house of Moslem, a rural doctor.
The house of BNP worker Wajed Ali Kalu was also looted during the attack.
The elements also dragged out women and children from the houses and harassed them. The women, however, declined to be identified.
The attackers then went to Amtali Bazar to loot shops and set those afire.
At around 12.15pm, a fire service team from Natore town reached the spot and took about an hour to extinguish the blaze.
Police came there when the attackers were returning but they took no action, locals said.
But Superintendent of Police Sayed Nazrul Islam told this correspondent police fired five blank shots and lobbed three tear gas shells to disperse the 'mob'.
"A mob torched some five houses and three shops and fled away as police reached the spot," he said.
A team of journalists visited the village at about 2:00pm and found traces of fire at some points and smoke still filled the air. The affected families were wailing on the ruins of their burnt houses and the entire village looked virtually devastated.
"We have lost everything. They (attackers) were men of the minister (Dulu)," said Fulera Begum, daughter ofFayez Uddin.
Similar statements were made by many others.
The victims of the February 7 arson were living under the open sky with the house-owners going into hiding in fear.
No police guard was posted at the village till yesterday's attack.
The deputy minister's nephew Dalim and his (Dalim's) friends Abdur Razzak, Sentu and Golap led the February 7 arson, villagers said.
Asked why no security measure was taken earlier, the SP said police were busy nabbing the killers of Gama and that the villagers did not lodge any complaintaboutthe incident.