Five locals have been accused of assaulting the parents of Tamzid Hasan Turag, Kurigram correspondent of TIMES of Bangladesh, following a land dispute in Kurigram’s Sadar upazila.
The journalist’s father, Md Aminul Islam, was injured and is undergoing treatment at Kurigram Sadar General Hospital, while his mother, Shamsad Begum, has also received treatment.
The victim’s family filed a written complaint with the police station on the day of the incident, 5 October. Based on the complaint, a case was filed on Wednesday.
Md Kamal Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kurigram Sadar Police Station, confirmed the matter.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), a long-standing dispute has existed between the two parties over 4.16 decimals of land in Palashbari area. Aminul purchased the land and has been in possession of it for about 34 years. Although several local arbitration attempts were made to resolve the dispute, it remained unresolved. A case over the land is also pending before a local court.
The incident took place around 2pm on Monday in Palashbari Kabiraj Para, when the couple went to plant eucalyptus saplings on their purchased land. They were allegedly attacked and beaten by Ramjan Ali, Mamunur Rashid Mamun and Monwara Begum. At one point, Ramjan attempted to strike Aminul on the head with a bamboo stick. Aminul moved his head to avoid the blow but was struck below his right eye.
The FIR further alleges that several other accused then struck Aminul on different parts of his body with iron rods. It also alleges that Mamun attempted to strangle him with the intention of killing him.
The FIR also states that Monwara dragged Shamsad by her hair, while Ramjan pulled at her clothing.
Local residents later arrived at the scene and rescued the victims. The accused allegedly left after intimidating and threatening the family. Aminul was later taken to Kurigram Sadar General Hospital, where he was admitted.
Speaking about the incident, journalist Tamzid Hasan said, “A case regarding the disputed land is currently pending before the court. My parents went to plant saplings on the land. The opposing party is attempting to seize the land, disregarding the court proceedings. They attacked my parents with the intention of killing them. I demand the arrest of those responsible.”
OC Kamal said, “A case has been filed at the police station over the incident. The opposing party has also filed a separate case. Necessary legal action will be taken following an investigation.”
