Family left homeless for six days after alleged attack in Sitakunda

A family in Sitakunda, Chattogram, has allegedly been forced to live in the open for six days after their house was demolished and belongings looted amid a long-running land dispute with neighbours.

The incident took place at Chowkidar Bari in Nunachhara area of Sitakunda municipality. On Tuesday, Khorsheda Akter filed a written complaint with Sitakunda Model Police Station, accusing Rezaul Karim Manik, Nur Karim, Sujon and 15 to 20 unidentified people of attacking and vandalising their home.

According to the complaint, Khorsheda has been living at her parental home since her husband's death. Her family has been involved in a long-running dispute with their neighbours over ancestral land. Her brother, Md Yusuf, filed a case over the dispute two to three months ago, which remains pending in court.

Khorsheda alleged that family members began demolishing their old house on Tuesday morning to build a new one when the accused arrived with 15 to 20 masked men and attacked them. She claimed the attackers assaulted family members and damaged the house with locally made weapons.

Her mother, Hasina Akter, and sister-in-law, Runa Akter, were injured and received treatment at Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex.

Khorsheda said police arrived after she called the national emergency service 999. She alleged that Sub-Inspector Nurullah initially detained some of the accused but released them shortly afterwards. They then returned and continued the vandalism and looting, she claimed.

She further alleged that the attackers took two cows worth an estimated Tk 1.5 lakh, damaged household belongings and two mobile phones, and that Tk 70,000 in savings belonging to her and her sister-in-law went missing. She also accused the attackers of sexually harassing and assaulting her and her sister-in-law. The family has been unable to return home and has received death threats, she claimed.

Khorsheda's brother, Md Yusuf, said the land was their ancestral property. He alleged that Rezaul Karim had taken possession of it using a forged deed and had later promised to return it in exchange for Tk 10 lakh. However, he said, Rezaul subsequently refused to hand over the land despite the family arranging the money.

Responding to the allegations, Rezaul Karim Manik said he had bought the land several years ago and had been occupying it after building a boundary wall. He claimed the family had recently built a house on the land without permission. He acknowledged that the structure had been demolished, saying the action was taken on the advice of an associate.

Sub-Inspector Nurullah said police went to the scene after receiving the emergency call and separated the two sides. He said several people were initially detained but were later released following a phone call from the officer-in-charge.

Sitakunda Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Mohinul Islam said police had been sent to the scene and had separated the two sides. Both parties were advised to resolve the land ownership dispute through the court, he said.

He added that both sides had filed counter-complaints and that the allegations would be investigated before further legal action is taken.

sks