A human chain demanded capital punishment for Mizanur Rahman Mizan, director of Rongdhonu Group, who was arrested in connection with a murder case on Tuesday.
The human chain was formed in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the capital Dhaka around 11:00am on Wednesday.
People from all walks of life, including family members of the victims and people from the Hindu community in Rupganj of Narayanganj also took part in the human chain to press home their demand.
According to the victims, Mizan acted as the head of the gang responsible for carrying out oppression under the leadership of Rongdhonu Group Chairman Rafiqul Islam.
The protesters also demanded capital punishment of Rafiqul Islam Rafiq for his involvement in running criminal activities in and around the Rupganj area.
While addressing the human chain, Rezaul Karim, grandfather of deceased Swadhin, broke down in tears, pleading for justice.
“I want justice. They killed my grandson following a feud over a piece of land. It has been 10 months since my grandson stopped calling me 'grandfather.' No one holds me tight to sleep anymore. I couldn’t even afford to file a case. I don’t want land or anything else. I want my grandson back," he said.
Swadhin’s mother, Jharna, also expressed her grief, stating, “Mizan, Shafik, and Josu killed my son following an order of Rafiq to grab our land. My son had passed his SSC examination. They came home and shot him dead, destroyed our house, and left us in ruin. Why didn’t they kill me too? I wanted justice, but my plea went in vain. I demand investigation and the highest punishment of these killers. I want nothing else.”
Shahin Alam, father of another victim, Sajid, shared his story: "They killed my son over land and dumped his body in the river. I went to Khilgaon police station to file a case on 15 December last year, but the officer-in-charge told me they would accept the case only if I left out the names of Rafiq and Mizan. We did not get justice anywhere in the administration."
Another victim, Sajedul Islam Sohag, added, "They extorted Tk85 lakh from my brother Abdullah Al Mamun. They forcibly occupied people’s lands, filled ponds and arable land with sand, and never paid the rightful owners. Mizan, on behalf of Rafiq, led these operations. They still control our lands with a gang of 400-500 members. At least 200-300 families in our area are victims of their occupation. Mizan has been arrested, and we demand his execution and the arrest of Rafiq."
During the protest, participants held placards with slogans such as "We demand the execution of Rafiq, Benazir’s cashier," "Execution of Rupganj butcher Rafiq," "Execution of the murderer who left countless mothers grieving," "Justice for Swadhin’s murder," and "Justice for the killing of students."
This peaceful human chain highlighted the deep-seated anguish of the local community, who continue to seek justice for their loved ones.
BDST: 1645 HRS, SEP 18, 2024
MSK
