Perhaps State Minister for Power Iqbal Hassan Mahmood can tell it better if there was even a single sacrifice of human life in the recent human history for power. If his answer is not available or if there is no single such incident, Kansat has the only place in the history of Bangladesh and the world as well where over one and a half dozen people were brutally killed by the law enforcers whose bullets were bought by those taxpayers’ money.

Now why Kansat is burning? Most of the men are away from their homes and women are coming out to agitate. Why? What necessitated this ferocious behavior by the police and that also under a democratic dispensation and by an elected government? Why police swooped on their homes like Borgis of the past? Kansat has literally taken a deserted look as panicked locals of five unions under Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj fled for life, fearing further police excesses on them.

Hundreds of villagers were seen fleeing the areas on foot and by rickshaws and boats with whatever belongings they managed to bring with them. Abbasbazar, Biyanibazar, Biswnathpur, Karimbazar, Mahilabazar, Dhokpukur and a few other villages of the area became completely deserted.

Thousands of villagers, regardless their age and gender, have been living in the open by the side of rivers and water bodies, in sugarcane fields, mango orchards and open fields after the latest spell of police firing took place last week, unruly raids by them and looting at their houses.

A combined force of law enforcers, comprising the police, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Armed Police Battalion, were patrolling the areas. They took positions every 100 yards to swoop on whoever is seen with sticks or any kind of resistance.

The Palli Bidyut Unnayan Sangram Parishad (PBUSP) members vowed to continue their movement until meeting of its demands while the government has sent a five-member team led by State Minister for Civil Aviation Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir Friday as it woke up from sleep of careless attitude.

"Our demands could be met peacefully through discussion but the government has to create environment for that by withdrawing section 144 and the false cases and release the arrested," PBUSP Convener Golam Rabbani told journalists Thursday.

Why such an ablaze in Kansat? Here are some facts about the killings in Kansat that may help wake us up to the shocking nature of the situation. First, two people were killed on January 4 followed by killing of seven on the 23rd of the same month. Then four were killed on April 6 and another was injured, who later died on April 12. Finally, six were killed the day before yesterday. A total of 20 innocent lives were lost for the so-called 'crime' of agitating for adequate electricity supply so that they could carry on their farming properly. All these deaths occurred due to police firing can only be termed unprovoked, for there is absolutely no evidence of the villagers resorting to any sort of violent action that could have called for such brutality and response of 'final resort'.

Now when the people were protesting and demanding uninterrupted power supply last week, the latest agitation by the villagers was retaliated by the BNP men who made counter-attack on the protestors of PBUSP. Local people alleged that some BNP activists also wore police uniform in disguise and joined the law enforcers in last Wednesday's attack on them while some others guided the police in raiding the houses and arresting villagers. "The BNP men were in police uniform with helmets on and participated in the raid," said a villager. They were identified as Kalu Daktar, Jewel, Azad Master, Khaleq Daktar, Suhrawardi Professor and Biswanathpur Union Parishad Chairman Hazrat.

Throughout the last week, the villagers faced atrocities and brutalities of police and other law enforcers. In Baghdurgapur village, Purna Das, 55, is the lone male left in the house to look after his aunt Kanaklata, 70, and the household. All of them bore injury marks from the police action. Purna's brother Mahindranath Das, sisters Sanskriti and Krishna managed to escape during the police attack on the village. The law enforcers, who attacked the village twice in the morning and evening, looted Tk 50,000 and five tola gold ornaments from the house at gunpoint, the residents alleged. Purna said he does not know the whereabouts of his sister-in-law Jharna Das and her university-going daughter Keya Das since they fled. Bholanath, another brother of Purna, was bullet-hit during the police action in Nababganj village.

In Rajarbagan, around 100 people were seen taking refuge at a mango orchard which is one and a half kilometres from Baghdurgapur village. The villagers believe the barbed wire fence around the orchard will save them from further police attacks. They said hundreds more are to come there for shelter at night while others will live on the riverbanks and fields.

Purnima, Dhananjay and Bhanu of Biyanibazar village were seen fleeing on a rickshaw. They said they had spent the night at the riverside and were now heading for a relative's house at Trimohoni. Abdul Khaleq, 80, of Biswanathpur, his wife Momena and daughter Shirin were also deserting their village on two rickshaws piled with their household belongings. "I found no other way but to leave my house for life and to save the honor of my daughter," said Khaleq. Hundreds of others were found running on foot or sailing by boats through river Pagla with their possessions.

During the police atrocities, mosque was not even left. Nurul Islam, Khadem (caretaker) of Lalaji Mollapara Mosque, said he saw the police attacking the two floors of the mosque during Zohr prayers. "The policemen, armed and wearing boots, entered the mosque and arrested four persons before most of around 40 devotees fled the spot," he said.

The law enforcers not only looted valuables from the houses but also took away domestic animals, the locals alleged. Some of the cattle were seen kept at the Palli Bidyut Office. The police allegedly feasted on the stolen animals. Four goats were looted from village Baghdurgapur.

A lot of brutality by the police and other law enforcers in this country was seen in the past. But nothing can be compared to the mindless killing and ruthless attack in the villages. They have been shot at, mercilessly beaten up, violently attacked and indiscriminately arrested. In the last few days, they have had their houses raided and personal belongings looted.

In the beginning the people just demonstrated. When police attacked them brutally they started throwing brickbats and carrying sticks. Later they cut down trees to block roads and in some cases even dug up road sections. In no instance were they carrying any firearms or known to have used explosives or cocktails. To date, the police themselves did not make such a claim.

Then the question automatically arises as to why police opened fire. Were they asked to do so? Who made the order and why? There is absolutely no adequate explanation for treating our villagers in this manner except for an arrogant mindset that treats every dissenting voice as that of an 'enemy'. The government has become so used to applying brute force to contain opposition rallies and demonstrations that for them every agitation is inevitably the product of opposition 'conspiracy' and as such must be dealt with the maximum force.

Even they are not caring about the Court order. On April 8, Justice MA Matin and Justice Fazle Kabir of the High Court Division directed police not to harass or arrest leaders and workers of Palli Bidyut Unnyan Sangram Parisad (PBUSP ) without due process of law. The Court passed the order on hearing a writ petition filed by Advocate ZI Khan Panna, the Chairperson of the Legal Aid and Human Rights Committee of the Bangladesh Bar Council.

The Court, at the same time, also issued a rule upon the government to show cause as to why it should not be directed to give adequate compensations to the family members of the people killed by the members of the law enforcing agencies at Kansat on January 4 and 23. The Court also asked the government to show cause as to why the police attacks on the people of Kansat at different times should not be declared illegal.

The Secretary to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Chapainawabganj, the Officer-in Charge (OC) of Shibganj Police Station, the Chairman of Rural Electrification Board (REB) and the Palli Biddyut Samiti of Chapainawabganj have been made respondents.

The Court also asked the respondents to show cause why they should not be directed to ensure supply of electricity from 10pm to 6am during the irrigation time for cultivation of lands at the troubled area.

An explosive-like situation has been prevailing in the trouble-torn Shibganj upazila of Chanpainawabganj due to enforcement of a non-stop hartal since last week in protest against the killing of the people.

The matter also attracted international attention as the Amnesty International (AI) has said that the Bangladesh government must immediately set up an independent investigation committee to probe the killings of farmers protesting electricity shortages in the northern town of Kansat.

"At least twenty people have been killed in these electricity protests since January," said Abbas Faiz, South Asia researcher at the AI. "There must be an impartial investigation into these deaths and anyone found responsible for illegal killing should be brought to justice without delay. Any police officers suspected of shooting civilians should be removed from active service pending investigation. It is the responsibility of governments to ensure people have the necessary means to prevent the destruction of their livelihood.”

"The authorities must ensure the means for farmers to grow their food and maintain their livelihoods," said Abbas Faiz. "A regular supply of electricity is urgently needed for irrigation to prevent the destruction of the current paddy crop, on which these farmers depend for their survival."

Most interesting thing is that the so-called civil society members kept a closed eye on the matter so far. They are yet to form any committee or pressure the government to deal with the matter in an expected manner.


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Finally the authorities pulled out police and other law enforcers from the troubled Kansat soon after the talks between a five-member government committee and the Palli Bidyut Unnayan Sangram Parishad (PBUSP) began on April 15.

On the other hand, Awami League led 14-party combined opposition called a dawn to dusk hartal for April 16 to register their protest to the killings at Kansat.

The withdrawal order came into effect at 4.15 pm following talks over cell phone between State Minister for Civil Aviation Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, head of the committee, and PBUSP leader Golam Rabbani.

The talks were continuing over phone till filing of this report.

It is reported that all contingents of armed forces are now positioned inside their camps.

The committee came to Chapainawabganj Circuit House and telephoned PBUSP leader Golam Rabbani who placed three conditions for initiating talks on its 14-point demand.

The conditions included pulling out police, BDR and other law enforcing agency members from Kansat, lifting of Section 144 and withdrawal of cases filed over April 6 incidents in Kansat.

As soon as the law enforcers pulled back from the area, jubilant people brought out procession.

Other members of the government committee are State Minister for Housing Alamgir Kabir, Deputy Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Asadul Habib Dulu, Rajshahi City Mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu and BNP lawmaker from Chapainwabganj-2 Syed Manjur Hossain.

The jubilant people burnt effigies of RCC Mayor Minu and local lawmaker Shahjahan Miah. The Minu's effigy was inscribed with "I am a liar, hit me with shoes" while Shahjahan's effigy was inscribed with "I am Shahjahan, I do not know anything."



Civil Society Leaders Slam Govt.

Civil society leaders criticized the government for the Kansat carnage, calling it a 'failure' to respond to the rightful demands of the people.

"Incredible! This is a state-sponsored killing which reflects the carelessness of the rulers about the rightful demands and hopes of the grass-root level people," said Prof Serajul Islam Chawdhury of the Samaj Rupantor Addhayan Kendra.

Pointing to the history, he said people witnessed such repressions and killings in both colonial and Pakistan regimes.

"State structure has changed over time. But the distance between rulers and subjects remains," he said, adding the rulers have failed to respond to the hopes and needs of the people.

He also criticized the opposition's stance on the issue, saying: "The opposition parties have performed their responsibility by calling hartal although they should have been with the Kansat people physically."

"This is a failure of the government. The people of Kansat are demonstrating to ensure uninterrupted supply of power to their farm lands," said Prof Mozaffar Ahmed, Trustee of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).

He said country's people are sensible and the government could convince the people of Kansat if it took peaceful means initially.

Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, writer and a professor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, termed the poor protest from civil society against the killings at Kansat 'unfortunate'.

"This is a dreadful act and is unacceptable in any sovereign and democratic state."

Sohel Parvez
BDNEWS