After Jubo Dal worker Kawsar's killing in Ujirpur, houses of two accused torched following funeral; nine arrested, area tense
In Ujirpur of Barishal, after Jubo Dal worker Kawsar Hawlader (37) was hacked to death, an angry crowd set fire to the houses of two accused. Two tin houses were burned. On receiving the news, a police team led by the officer-in-charge of Ujirpur police station went to the spot and brought the situation under control. A tense atmosphere prevails in the area.
The arson took place on Saturday (24 October) evening in Alamdi village of Satla Union in the upazila.
Earlier, on Friday night, Kawsar Hawlader was hacked to death on the West Satla Kandi road in the remote Satla Union, near the Gopalganj-Barishal border area. A group of assailants who arrived in a microbus carried out the attack.
Kawsar's funeral prayer was held on Saturday after the Esha prayers. The arson took place as people were returning from the funeral.
Kaiyum Bhatti, president of the Satla Union Ward 2 unit of Jubo Dal, said that on his way back from the funeral he learned that the houses of two accused in the murder case had been set on fire. One of them is the house of the case's number-one accused, Sajal Molla, near the big bridge at Khalpar in Alamdi village. The other house belongs to his elder brother, Nanna Molla. The fires are believed to have been set at some point after evening.
The officer-in-charge of Ujirpur Model Police Station, Md Rakibul Islam, confirmed the arson. He said he rushed to the scene on receiving the news and normalised the situation.
The OC said two tin houses had been set alight. There is no access for fire service vehicles there. The fire came under control after both houses burned down. However, who set the fires has not yet been identified.
According to police and local sources, the victim's brother Mostafa filed a murder case naming 15 people, with Sajal Molla as the prime accused.
After the case was filed, police conducted drives and arrested nine people along with the microbus. The microbus used in the attack has been seized.
A killing one day and arson at the accused's houses the next — two days of back-to-back incidents have left the whole of Satla Union on edge, and fear is also working among locals.
Police say the situation is now under control. Work is under way, however, to identify those involved in the arson and to arrest the remaining accused in the murder case.
All eyes in the area are now on the investigation. Locals believe the tension will be hard to calm until the motive for the murder is found and the full circle of attackers is identified and brought under the law.
