Outlaws active again in south-western districts
Leaders and cadres of banned outlawed parties are reportedly returning to their hideouts in remote areas of Tala, Assassuni, Paikgachha, Keshabpur, Manirampur and Dumuria upazilas in under different districts in south-western region.
Most of the leaders and active cadres of the banned outlawed parties who fled the area following crackdown by law enforcers, have reappeared due to alleged lack of surveillance by law enforcers.
The outfit cadres have engaged in killing their opponents, sending letters to businessmen and professionals demanding tolls and pasting posters announcing avenge of the killings of their party men.
Once active in the south-western areas, cadres of outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-ML), PBCP ML-Janajuddha, Biplobi Communist Party, New Biplobi Communist Party, PBCP-Chhinnamul and Sarbohara Party went into hiding following Rab action, especially after the proclamation of emergency in January last year.
But recently they have started coming back in their previous dens and started their organizational activities.
Reliable sources said Tala and Assassuni upazilas in Satkhira, Paikgachha and Dumuria upazilas in Khulna, Keshabpur and Manirampur upazilas in Jessore districts are safe havens of the outlawed activities.
At least five top leaders of outlawed parties including Abdur Rashid alias Tapan Malitha alias Dada Tapan (PBCP ML-Janajuddha faction) are staying in their areas.
Law enforcers launched several drives to nab Tapan and other outlawed leaders but to no effect.
They are doing party activities and collecting illegal tolls from the rich shrimp farmers, businessmen and other professionals.
On April 14 night a shrimp cultivator Mahadev Kumar Sarkar, 30, of village Gachha in Tala upazila, was killed in a bomb attack by outlawed party cadres near his village when he was returning home on his motorcycle.
On December 12 last year outlaws killed village policeman Tarak Nath Das of Dohar village in Tala upazila when he was asleep in his room. Outlawed cadres Shahadat Hossain and Johra Khatun of Dalua village in the same upazila were killed when rival outlawed cadres hurled bombs on them at Dalua Bazaar on May 20, police said.
On April 9 night, the banned outlawed outfit distributed leaflets containing death threat to five local journalists in Tala upazila headquarters area.
Local people from all walks of life protested and condemned the threat and demanded the authorities concerned to take action against the outlawed activists.
PBCP-Chhinnamul sent a letter written on February 15 to Kapilmuni Bazaar Banik Samity general secretary Asadur Rahman Piarul demanding toll.
Outlawed cadres also phoned a number of professionals including lawyers and journalists.
The outlawed parity cadres also pasted posters in different areas in Panjia union in Keshabpur, Dumuria and Tala upazilas.
During a recent visit by this correspondent to different areas in Tala, Kapilmuni and Keshabpur upazilas, local people said outlaws stay unrecognised during day-time in the guise of day labourers, traders and professionals in villages and at night they do their organisational activities.
Talking to this correspondent, Satkhira Superintendent of Police Mirza Abdullahel Baki denied the allegation of police inaction and said, “As we are launching drives to nab the absconding outlawed party leaders and cadres. They will not be able to get reorganised.”
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