Mystery shrouds murder of Netrakona Hajong leader

Students of schools and colleges, joined by cross-sections of people, brought out a procession in Durgapur on Thursday demanding arrest of killers of indigenous leader Sattayban Hajong. PHOTO: STAR

He was killed on April 23 by three miscreants allegedly for refusing to pay them toll, local people including some Banagalees claimed while talking to this correspondent.

Sttyaban's father Tusil Hajong filed a case accusing three persons--Rahimuddin, 38, Suruj Mia, 40, Kazimuddin, 35. But names of two Hajong community men Swapon Hajong and Sumon Hajongwere later included in the list of accused. Illiterate Tusil Hajong, when asked about this, said he filed a case against three persons and does not know how two more names were included in the list of accused.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The murder and inclusion of the two Hajong men in the case triggered protests in the area.

Several thousand indigenous people including teachers and students of different schools and colleges in Durgapur upazila formed a human chain and submitted a memorandum to the Durgapur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) demanding arrest and punishment to the real killers of Sattayban Hajong.

They demanded dropping of the names of Swapon Hajong and Sumon Hajong from the list of accused, saying they have been falsely implicated in the murder case as part of a conspiracy to hide the killers.

Sattayaban Hajong of Manikpur village in Kalmakanda upazila was killed at Lakmipur village in Durgapur upazila.

In the memorandum, the demonstrators claimed that Swapon Hajong and Sumon Hajong were not involved in the murder. Some local influential persons implicated them in the case due to previous enmity, they claimed.

This correspondent visited the area yesterday and talked to local people, who said Swapon Hajong and Sumon Hajong are not the killers. They claimed that the killers are Rahimuddin, Suruj Mia and Kazimuddin.

They alleged that the three persons had demanded Tk 5000 from Sattyaban as toll a few days ago, but he declined to pay.

Sattyaban was the superintendent of a hostel for Hajong students in Durgapur, run by Dustha Shastha Kendra (DSK), a local NGO.

On April 23, the three persons (Rahimuddin, Suruj Mia and Kazimuddin) attacked and fatally injured Sattyaban when he was going to visit his aunt Avlong at Lakmipur village, the locals alleged.

Sattyaban anyhow reached the house of Avlong in a critical condition and died there soon after. Before death, Sattyaban told Avlong told that he was attacked by the three persons, locals quoted Avlong as saying.

The local people said, Swapon Hajong is a teacher and is also a leader of Hajong community in the area.

On April 23, Swapon was in Durgapur, they claimed. Moreover, when the murder took place just before the sunset, Swapon was teaching his students at his house.

This correspondent talked to Achia Khatun, Aparna Kubi, Jharna Devnath, all students of Susang Degree College. They said they were taking lessons from Swapon in late afternoon when the murder took place.

Memony Hajong, an indigenous woman, said she saw the three miscreants beating Sattyaban. She shouted and requested them not to beat him but they ignored her screams, she told this correspondent.

Razia Khatun, wife of Abdus Salam of the same village, said Rahimuddin, Suruj Mia and Kazimuddin beat Sattyaban seriously in front of her house.

Some sources claimed that the names of Swapon ans Sumon were included in the list of accused later under pressure from a local ruling party leader and a leader of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB).

None of the accused has been arrested.

When contacted, Officer-in-charge (OC) of Durgapur Police Station Bhaja Gobinda said investigation is going on and they are trying to arrest the accused.