Poster says interim government for the wealthy

Late at night, four to five people entered the Bhabanipur market and put up posters on electric poles and walls before leaving. Even Harun-ur-Rashid, the night guard, was aware of their presence but chose to remain silent out of fear.

The incident took place in Bhabanipur Market, located in Sherpur Upazila of Bogura, on Wednesday, January 15, around 2 a.m. A group of men, allegedly members of the Purba Bangla Sarbahara Party, pasted several posters in the area. Upon receiving the information, police visited the site the following morning. However, such occurrences are not entirely new to the area, as many locals are believed to have affiliations with the Sarbahara Party.

On Friday, January 17, a visit to Bhabanipur Market, known as a stronghold of the Sarbahara Party, revealed that life in the market appeared normal, with routine business and casual gatherings at tea stalls. However, no one was willing to comment on the posters.

At the local police camp, the main gate was locked from the inside. After a while, a policeman opened the gate, verified the visitor’s identity, and allowed entry. When asked about the posters, the officer initially avoided the subject. Later, Sub-Inspector (SI) Abdul Malek, the in-charge of the camp, was called to address the issue.

SI Abdul Malek stated that members of the Sarbahara Party had posted four to five posters in the market area. The night guard witnessed the incident and shared the details with the police. The matter has been reported to higher authorities.

Despite Bhabanipur Market being under constant CCTV surveillance controlled from the police camp, SI Abdul Malek admitted that the footage had yet to be reviewed. He explained that an expert would be required to access the footage, whose fees the police would need to cover—a cost the camp currently couldn’t afford.

The behavior of SI Abdul Malek and other officers suggested hesitation and fear regarding further investigation into the matter. One officer remarked that they rarely leave the camp unless absolutely necessary and avoid discussing the Sarbahara Party due to its extensive network of informants in the area. The camp’s main gate is also kept locked for security reasons.

The posters, prominently displayed in Bhabanipur Market, bore the title: “Call for the 5th National Congress 2024.” They criticized the interim government, describing it as one for “American and Western imperialist agents, military, NGOs, intellectuals, and the wealthy,” and not for workers, farmers, or ordinary people. The posters called for the establishment of revolutionary mass power and encouraged Maoists to unite and build village-based guerrilla warfare. They also denounced U.S., Chinese, Russian, and EU imperialism, as well as Indian expansionism. The posters concluded with slogans like “Long live Maoism!” and “Long live the new democratic revolution!” Signed by the Central Committee of the Purba Bangla Sarbahara Party, they called for continuing the revolutionary fight for justice.

This is not the first such incident in Bhabanipur. On April 8, 2019, members of the Sarbahara Party attacked a police patrol team during a midnight poster campaign in the market. They reportedly shot at Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Nannu Mia of Sherpur Police Station, who retaliated by firing several rounds. While no Sarbahara members were injured, they escaped toward the Rayganj Upazila of Sirajganj District.

When asked about the recent incident, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shafiqul Islam of Sherpur Police Station confirmed the presence of posters but assured the public that there was no reason for alarm. “The police are on high alert. I personally patrolled the Bhabanipur area last night, and everything is under control,” he said. He also pointed out that a police camp is present in Bhabanipur Market to ensure security.