On the run for life

The farmer left his Balli village home in Khaliajuri upazila and has taken shelter at his brother-in-law's house in Netrakona town.

He had gone to Khaliajuri thana to record a case but was refused. He even met State Minister for Home Lutfuzzjaman Babor and submitted a written complaint naming the ruling party men, but to no effect.

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Fazlul Karim met this correspondent recently and narrated his sad story.

He claimed that, in a sequel to previous enmity, some ruling party men sprinkled petrol on his house and torched it on the night of November 30.

He and his family ran away and escaped death. The miscreants looted valuables.

On information, police from Khaliajuri thana visited the burnt homestead on the next morning.

Fazlul karim had gone to the police station to file a case against ruling BNP activists Ujjaj Mia, Jweel Mia, Mamun Mia, Sazal Mia, Akter Hossen, Kajal, Shaha Alam, Moha-mmad Moashin, Burhanuddin, Matiur Rahaman, And Asadujja-man. But police refused to record it, he alleged.

He then met State Minister for Home Lutfuzzaman Babor and submitted a written complaint naming the ruling party men. The State Minister assured him of action. But nothing happened in about two months, he claimed.

Khaliajury upazila is Babor's constituency.

Finally, on February 10, Fazlul Karim filed a case with the court of a First Class Magistrate in Netrakoma. The court on the same day ordered the Officer-in-Charge of Khaliajuri thana to recorded a case.

When contacted on Friday, Khaliajuri thana OC Shafiqul Islam Majumder said the court order reached the thana on February 26.

"I must obey the court order and record a case", the OC said. But he did not record the case till Friday.

The OC said he knows everything about the matter but admitted that he is facing pressure from local ruling party leaders.