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Arrest for Bihari Camp Violence

Caught red-handed?

Families differ with cops

Zyma Islam and Shaheen Mollah
The accounts given by family members differ starkly from that of police, who claim the seven Biharis arrested over the Kurmitola Bihari camp violence were all caught red-handed on June 14.
At least nine members of a family were burnt to death when eight homes at the camp for stranded Pakistanis were torched as the culmination of clashes between Biharis and locals, the latter allegedly joined by the police.
Another person, hit by bullets, died in hospital.
Nasima, wife of Arif, 35, one of the arrested, claimed that her husband was taking his mother-in-law to safety when he was arrested on the morning of that day.
"We were all sleeping at the time of the commotion. We woke up to the noise," she said.
"As we went out to see what was going on, our neigh
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hours said several houses had been set on fire. So my husband told us to flee to safety, and he went to my mother's house."
Her mother's house is only a few houses away from the houses that caught fire. Police caught Arif from there, while he was trying to help the old woman escape, claimed Nasima.
Mohammad Golam, father of Sabbir Hossain, 22, one of the seven, claimed that his son was with him at the time of the arrest. Their house too is very close to those set on fire.
"We heard about the fire and had gone out to see what was going on. We were standing a few feet away from our house and watching events unfold when the police suddenly came and grabbed my son and took him away."
Razia Sultana, brother of another arrestee named Badru, claimed that the accused was taking his son to the hospital at the time of the arrest.
"My house is right next to one of the houses that burnt down. So when the flames rose, I escaped and took refuge in Badru's house. While he was taking me back to my house later, his teenage
son accompanied us. Right at that moment the police fired rubber bullets, injuring my nephew. We were rushing him to a hospital and it was when police swooped on us and arrested Badru," she said.
Talking to The Daily Star, Inspector Biplob Kumar Sheel of Pallabi Police Station, however, claimed that the seven had all been caught red-handed while pelting stones and rioting.
"We are still investigating to see whether they set fire to the houses or not," he said.
The arrested are currently in jail.
Occupying the street in front of their camp in Mirpur, Biharis yesterday reiterated the claim that arresting their community members for the violence was "absurd".
"Why would Biharis kill Biharis?" said Shawkat Hossain Pachu, general secretary of the Stranded Pakistanis Repatriation Committee.
No other arrest was made in this connection, though the Bihari community has continuously alleged that youths involved with the ruling party were behind setting fire to the Bihari houses.