Life at standstill, arson survivors scared to return to Shilpara

Nightmarish memories of the November 18 carnage still haunt the surviving family members of Tejendra Lal Shil, 37 days after the incident.

Just-harvested bundles of paddy were strewn all over the courtyard when this correspondent visited the house of Tejendra Lal on Monday.

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The house where the 11 people were roasted alive was dismantled eight days ago at the directive of local lawmaker and State Minister for Forest and Environment Jafrul Islam Chowdhury. Five labourers were leveling the uneven mud floor to build a new tin-roofed house.

"The minister assured us of donating Tk four lakh as grant to build the new house", said Dr Bimal Shil, son of Tejendra, killed in the incident. Dr. Bimal, the only survivor in the arson, is undergoing treatment at clinic in Chittagong since November 19.

Some pale-looking women of the family were seen thrashing the harvested paddy and drying those in sunlight.

"Hell befell us", said a woman who lost her three daughters-- Babuty, Prasadi and Annie on that fateful night.

"We are unlucky as the crop is also so poor this year", she said in a dejected tone.

"We have 10 kani (1 kani is equalto 20 katha) land property including the homestead and usually get 60 to 70 hari (1 hari is equal to 10 kg) paddy."

"But, this year we got only 25 hari paddy", she said.

There is shock and despair all around, but the ripples do not reach law enforcers.

Police so far failed to make any real breakthrough in probing the incident.

Police said they could not make any clue even after taking the arrested persons on remand twice.

The Investigation Officer of the case, Clarence Gomez, also ASP of Satkania Circle, did not have time to talk to this correspondent as he was going to Comilla to be on duty for the Prime Minister's visit there.

Dr. Bimal, a survivor, said he is scared of returning to Sadhanpur village.

"Whether I fully recover or not from my leg injury, one thing is sure that I will not go back to my village home," he told this correspondent in Chitatgong.

"Since, I'm the lone survivor, I might be a target of the criminals."

Bimal said he informed the state minister about his apprehension and sought security to his life.

He said, as per the state minister's advice, he will make an appeal to the Prime Minister soon for providing his family a plot in the city to live there.

All those this correspondent talked to said they only want that the culprits behind the incident be punished.

Meanwhile, Kalipur Union Parishad Chairman and local BNP leader Aminur Rahman Chowdhury dismissed allegations of his involvement in the incident and claimed himself to be a friend and tested well-wisher of the Hindu community.

"I was elected UP chairman twice with votes of Hindu voters. In the last election, I got nearly 6,000 votes. Only 1,500 voters were Muslims and the rest were Hindu votes," said Aminur, also a cousin of State Minister Jafrul Islam.