Miscreants try to burn whole family for protesting

A family in Rajshahi city has alleged that their neighbour has tried to kill the family by setting fire to their house as they protested the illegal construction of a multi-storey building violating Rahshahi Development Authority’s (RDA) rules.

After failing to burn them to death, the owner of the building under construction has been threatening to kill them, the victims alleged at a press conference at the Rajshahi Journalist Union on Sunday (March 24).

The victims, Mizanur Rahman and his wife Shilpi Begum, also said that the police are not registering their complaint in this regard.

In a written statement at the press conference, Mizanur Rahman said, "Shahidul Islam, who works in Bangladesh Bank, is constructing a five-storey building in the central Naodapara area of Rajshahi city. He was asked to leave the designated area from his under-construction building as per the rules of RDA. He didn't listen to us. We then submitted a complaint to the RDA. And consequently, RDA stopped the work after finding the allegation true which angered Shahidul.

He said that he would not leave even an inch of space, no matter how much money he would have to spend."

He further said, “Shahidul repeatedly threatened to withdraw the complaint from RDA. Shahidul hired Moni, a local terrorist and leader of the ruling party, for not withdrawing the complaint. I have not been able to stay at home for almost a month due to Moni's threats. Last Friday night, Moni and his followers set fire to my house by closing the door from outside. My wife and child fainted due to the flames. When the locals tried to put out the fire, the terrorists prevented them. Locals somehow rescued my wife and child and sent them to hospital.”

Mizanur Rahman complained and said, "After these incidents, when I went to file a case ith the police station, they did not receive any complaint, let alone filing of a case. Instead, the police threw me out of the police station.”

Shilpi Begum said, "If my husband or anyone in my family or I are killed, then Moni and Shahidul will be responsible."

Meanwhile, the accused Moniruzzaman Moni denied these allegations and said, “I was in a program of our party that day. I don't know anything about what happened that night. He involved my name for nothing. I have come to know that he is having problems with Shahidul Islam.”

When accused Shahidul Islam was called to talk about this, his phone was found switched off.

In this regard, Ismail Hossain, OC of Shah Makhdum police station, said, “They came to file a case but could not accuse anyone and many discrepancies were found in their words. They are saying different things at different times. They were asked to file a complaint but they left without doing so. Still, we are investigating the matter.”