Sukanth Bikash Dhar, Satkania: Upazila Nirbahi Officer Fatema-Tuz-Zohra has come under fire from freedom fighters for not banning the slogans “Jai Bangla’ and ‘Jai Bangabandhu’ in the discussion meeting of Independence and National Day in Satkania. This incident happened in the Upazila Parishad hall room today, Sunday (March 26). Later, the freedom fighters held an immediate protest rally in front of the Upazila Parishad and sought the intervention of the Prime Minister and the Awami League High Command to take the necessary measures against the UNO.
According to eyewitnesses and police sources, a discussion meeting was held on the occasion of Independence Day and National Day in the upazila parishad hall room at the initiative of the upazila administration on Sunday morning. Upazila Chairman MA Motaleb was the chief guest, and UNO presided over it. Upazila Vice Chairman Salah Uddin Hasan Chowdhury, Female Vice Chairman Anjuman Ara Begum, Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Arafat Siddiqui, and Police Station OC Yasir Arafat were present at this time.
After the speech of the president, the honoring ceremony of the freedom fighters began. As part of this, the Upazila Chairman, the UNO, and other guests are giving a packet with iftar items to the freedom fighters. At that time, Abul Kalam Azad Dalu, the son of the freedom fighter present in the room and president of the Upazila Farmers League, protested because there was no photo of Bangabandhu written on the banner, Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu. Later, the former commander of Satkania Upazila Muktijoddha unit command Abu Taher LM also started protesting with the same words. Other freedom fighters also protested in unison. Among them, some of the freedom fighters wanted to take gifts, and the freedom fighters dragged them down from the dias of the hall room.
At this time, a fight and riot started between the freedom fighters. Later, the present Police Station OC Yasir Arafat and other policemen restrained them. Meanwhile, the upazila chairman tried to stop the commotion. Later, he left the venue. Later, when the UNO situation calmed down, Ansar left the meeting place in a government car through Bastni. In between, a person posing as a journalist came out of the hall room with the gifts given by the freedom fighters, and the freedom fighters severely harassed him. After opening the packet, it is seen that there are 7-8 Iftar items. It is doubtful whether the material will weigh five kilograms. Later, the freedom fighters came out of the hall room and organized a protest rally in front of the Upazila Parishad building. It was presided over by Abu Taher LMG. At that time, more than a hundred freedom fighters, including freedom fighter Milan Kumar Bhattacharya and freedom fighter Arun Majumdar, were present.
Abu Taher LMG told The Crime that the banner of the Independence Day program, without writing Jai Bangla, Jai Bangabandhu, clarified the fact that UNO embodies the spirit of BNP-Jamaat. Celebrating Independence Day with a banner without the pictures of Bangabandhu and the Prime Minister is nothing but an extreme spectacle. We want the intervention of the honorable prime minister and the Awami League high command to resolve this. In his speech, Abu Taher also said that every year some stipends were given by the Upazila administration in respect of the freedom fighters. But this year, the freedom fighters have been insulted by the lack of relief materials. If he protested about this, he told us that he has no funds. However, he has extorted lakhs of rupees in the name of this event.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Satkania Police Station Mohammad Yasir Arafat told The Crime, “When the freedom fighters started rioting, I and the policemen together restrained them.” As a result, there was no major incident.
UNO Fatema-Tuz-Zohra told The Crime that there is no government-level obligation to write Jai Bangla or Jai Bangabandhu on the banner. The banner is written in the same style as the invitation card. However, it is mandatory to say Jai Bangla during the speech. Regarding the commotion, UNO said the upazila administration took the gift items and demoralized the freedom fighters. In this case, Abu Taher Sahib’s men overpowered the honorees and prevented them from accepting gifts. Denying the allegations of taking lakhs of rupees, UNO said, “I have no problem explaining it if I can show any such proof.”
Satkania Upazila Chairman MA Motaleb told The Crime, I have asked UNO about the matter. Jai Bangla, Jai Bangabandhu said that there is no obligation to write Jai Bangla on the banner. Besides, after the commotion stopped, I left the meeting place and went to other work.
