Just two days after publicly ostracising seven families through drum-beating and loudspeaker announcements, a group of self-styled village arbitrators in Jamalpur Sadar upazila has sought a formal apology.
In a second meeting held on Monday with the affected families, the feudal-nature arbitrators admitted their wrongdoing amid growing public condemnation of their actions.
The families targeted in the boycott are widely respected for their contributions during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. Three members of the ostracised families were martyred in the war.
Jamalpur Additional Superintendent of Police Yahia Al Mamun said that during a community meeting at Dapunia West Para on Sunday night, the arbitrators acknowledged their misconduct and offered a public apology.
“Upon receiving the complaint, police visited the site and warned of legal action if the matter was not resolved by Sunday. Realising their mistake, the arbitrators apologised publicly,” he said.
The incident attracted widespread media coverage and prompted swift intervention from local authorities. Following the apology, the affected families resumed normal life from Monday.
Key accused individuals, including Shamim Ahmed and Aminul Islam, have reportedly gone into hiding.
Earlier, on Saturday night, Ismail Maulvi, a resident of Dapunia and one of the victims, filed a complaint with Sadar Police Station, detailing the events that unfolded the previous night.
According to the complaint, a minor altercation between Md Montu and Md Monsur on Friday afternoon led to a village arbitration meeting at 8pm.
During the meeting, Shamim Ahmed and Aminul Islam allegedly demanded Tk50,000 from Monsur Mia. When he failed to pay, a group of locals declared a social boycott of seven families around 11:00pm, using drum-beating and loudspeaker announcements.
The complaint further states that threats were made to burn down the families’ homes if they were seen at mosques, markets, schools, madrasas, or any public places.
The complaint names Abdul Wadud Banu, Shamim Ahmed, Aminul Islam, Mintu Mia, and Mosammat Amena Begum, along with four or five unidentified individuals from Dapunia village.
Anisur Ashekin, investigation officer at Jamalpur Sadar Police Station, confirmed that legal action would be taken against those involved.
At around 10:00pm on Sunday, another arbitration meeting was held at the office of the Dapunia Social Development Organisation, attended by local dignitaries and several hundred villagers.
Lawyer Anisur Rahman Manik, who participated in the meeting, said, “The arbitrators admitted their fault and publicly apologised to the seven families. In front of the community, they pledged to live peacefully together. Later that night, they announced via loudspeaker that the previous decision had been revoked.”
By Monday morning, normalcy had returned to the village.
Moshiur Rahman, general secretary of the Jamalpur chapter of Citizen Voice, called for legal action against the perpetrators, saying, “Such barbaric acts must not be repeated. The administration must ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Human rights activist Jahangir Selim described the incident as a “crime against humanity.”
“These are martyr families—three members gave their lives for the country. What happened to them is a grave injustice committed by a group of powerful local thugs,” he said.