Chittagong Bureau :
Fear still stalks parts of Raozan in Chittagong, where Salauddin Quader Chowdhury had engineered a massacre of Hindus during the Liberation War.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the death sentence given to the BNP leader for war crimes.But the residents of ‘Kundeshwari’ and ‘Jagatmalla Para’ were reluctant to open up to the media as a climate of fear and tension reigns.
The few who spoke did so strictly on the condition of anonymity. Even after so many years, and the top court’s verdict confirming Chowdhury’s death sentence, fear seemed to be writ large on people’s faces.The ruling Awami League, however, took out a march to celebrate the verdict and distributed sweets.But only a few ordinary people joined the celebrations; even those who had testified against the flamboyant politician stayed away.
The eldest son of the late Muslim League leader Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury was born in Gohira in 1949, was a four-time MP from Raozan, two times from Rangunia and lastly from Fatikchari constituency.
His father had become the general secretary of the Muslim League before the 1947 Partition. A minister in Ayub Khan’s 1962 Cabinet, Fazlul Quader later became Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly. The family that had resorted to wanton violence to abort the birth of Bangladesh still inspired fear after independence, especially among the Hindu community.
The killing of Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya owner Nutan Chandra Singha at Raozan’s Gahira on Apr 13 was one of the four incidents that sealed Chowdhury’s fate.
The main door of the Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya Bhaban was shut after the verdict was announced in Dhaka.
A security guard stood at the gate, and police personnel could be seen inside.Ajoy Mallik, who lives in Kundeshwari, said: “This verdict is great news for the people of Raozan. Nothing can be better.
We’ll be cleansed of the taints of this traitor once the sentence is carried out.”On Wednesday, all housesn of the prosecution witnesses in the village had their doors shut. Some had locks hanging on the outside.c Reporters knocked but none answered.
Raozan thana police sources said mediamn went to Jagatmalla Para around noon with Raozan Police OC Pradip Kumar Das.
Wife of prosecution witness Ashish Chowdhury refused to speak before mediamen despite several requests in presence of police. She said we always live in fear, Officer-In-Charge Pradip Das said.
Fear still stalks parts of Raozan in Chittagong, where Salauddin Quader Chowdhury had engineered a massacre of Hindus during the Liberation War.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the death sentence given to the BNP leader for war crimes.But the residents of ‘Kundeshwari’ and ‘Jagatmalla Para’ were reluctant to open up to the media as a climate of fear and tension reigns.
The few who spoke did so strictly on the condition of anonymity. Even after so many years, and the top court’s verdict confirming Chowdhury’s death sentence, fear seemed to be writ large on people’s faces.The ruling Awami League, however, took out a march to celebrate the verdict and distributed sweets.But only a few ordinary people joined the celebrations; even those who had testified against the flamboyant politician stayed away.
The eldest son of the late Muslim League leader Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury was born in Gohira in 1949, was a four-time MP from Raozan, two times from Rangunia and lastly from Fatikchari constituency.
His father had become the general secretary of the Muslim League before the 1947 Partition. A minister in Ayub Khan’s 1962 Cabinet, Fazlul Quader later became Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly. The family that had resorted to wanton violence to abort the birth of Bangladesh still inspired fear after independence, especially among the Hindu community.
The killing of Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya owner Nutan Chandra Singha at Raozan’s Gahira on Apr 13 was one of the four incidents that sealed Chowdhury’s fate.
The main door of the Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya Bhaban was shut after the verdict was announced in Dhaka.
A security guard stood at the gate, and police personnel could be seen inside.Ajoy Mallik, who lives in Kundeshwari, said: “This verdict is great news for the people of Raozan. Nothing can be better.
We’ll be cleansed of the taints of this traitor once the sentence is carried out.”On Wednesday, all housesn of the prosecution witnesses in the village had their doors shut. Some had locks hanging on the outside.c Reporters knocked but none answered.
Raozan thana police sources said mediamn went to Jagatmalla Para around noon with Raozan Police OC Pradip Kumar Das.
Wife of prosecution witness Ashish Chowdhury refused to speak before mediamen despite several requests in presence of police. She said we always live in fear, Officer-In-Charge Pradip Das said.
