Amid the ongoing Islamist onslaught on Hindus in Bangladesh, it came to light that 25 Hindu families were left trapped after a local thug named Sohail Hazra built a house overnight in the middle of the road.
The incident occurred in Bandal village in Kotalipara upazila in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. According to a report by Jamuna TV, the kuccha road in the Hindu locality has existed for over 50 years.
But the lives of the residents have now come to a standstill. While speaking about the matter, a woman named Jyotsna Karmakar lamented, “We are unable to step out of our homes because he built the house on the road.”
“We have a land there. He ploughed it overnight and built the house,” a Hindu man narrated.
An elderly woman was heard saying, “We did not even have a fight. We know nothing when he pulled it off. The road has been there since the time of the Britishers. We saw it as children.”
After the Hindu families objected to the blockade, the influential local goon Sohail Hazra threatened them with physical harm. The Hindu community in Bandal village is now living in a state of fear.
“The situation is so grim now that we cannot take anyone to the hospital in case of an emergency. We will have to carry the patient on our shoulders,” a Hindu man emphasised.
“This is the condition of the road. He (Sohail) and I both have our land here. This does not belong to him alone,” he added.
Another local stated, “We do not have an alternate road available for commute. If the road is not freed of the encroachment, then, we will have to stay under house arrest.”
He informed that Sohail Hazra and his men intimidated him with sharp weapons upon being caught red-handed building the illegal house.
One woman lamented how Sohail destroyed their area and created problems for the community.
Sohail Hazra justifies action, Hindus get consolation prize
The accused, on the other hand, has cried foul over the matter and alleged that he is the owner of the land on which the house has been built.
Following complaints to the local administration by the stranded Hindu families, the authorities reached the spot and tried to strike a settlement between both parties.
As a consolation prize, a narrow passage was provided for the movement of the locals.
The land encroachment and the temporary house, built by Sohail Hazra overnight, continue to remain intact.
