W ith five unnatural deaths during the last 24 day, people of Sylhet have gripped by severe panic.
On September 21 morning hanging dead bodies of two sisters-Rani (38) and Fetma (27), daughters of late Kalimullah, were recovered from the roof of their Konapara city house. Family member of the deceased claimed the sisters committed suicide but police and local people sensed rats.
They termed the death mysterious and blamed family feud and rivalry over the possession of land properties behind the deaths. Police are, however, probing the incident.
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The next day on September 22 (Wednesday) housewife Rumi Begum (21) allegedly committed suicide at Mogla Bazaar area of the city. Police arrested the husband Khokon Mia on the allegation of killing his wife for dowry. This incident is also under police probe currently.
Such incidents of suicide, killings and violation have recently increased at an alarming rate in Sylhet.
Social researchers however mentioned, due to staying indoors during the Corona pandemic, the incidents like family feud, torture, immoral affairs, family violence, impatience and restlessness have increased in Sylhet recently. Moreover, absence of religious canons was the cause of such increased chaos.
On September 23 morning, a sister in law (elder brother’s wife or Bhabi) was killed in the hand of her brother-in-law (husband’s younger brother) at Korpara village under Jaintapur upazila of Sylhet district. Victim Sonara Begum (45) was the wife of Wahab Mia of the same village. Police arrested Abdul Karim (40), brother in law of the victim and his wife Shirin Begum in this connection.
Earlier on September 17, one Ana Mia of Silam Mohammadpur Daskhinpara was fatally injured in rival attacks over a land dispute. He died at a clinicwhile undergoing treatment on September 22.
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The same night Rajani Biswas, son of Naresh Biswas of Goainghat area was killed by several assailants over a sequel of previous rivalry. Police arrested several accused in connection to the murders.
Along with the murders and suicides, the incidents of rape have also been increased in Sylhet recently. Violation of women, housewives, teenage girls and even children are being committed almost daily in Sylhet. There are also incidents of mass-rapes in the district.
According to Sylhet district police a total of 316 murder cases were filed in various police stations of the district from June 2017 to June 2021. The year wise breakup of the cases are- 53 during June 2019 to 2020, 61 during June 2020 to June 2021 and 30 during June to August 21 and five murder cases were filed during the last 24 day period.
ASP (Sadar) Lutfar Rahman informed, the incidents of murders have recently increased in Sylhet for various reasons. Personal enmity, family feud and rivalry over the possession of land were main cases of such murders. People are now killing one even for a futile reason.
BM Ashrafullah Taher of SMP informed all police stations under SMP have been asked to deal the family related rivalry with utmost significance. Local public representatives have also been requested to resolve the family feuds through mutual arbitration. He further mentioned, the law enforcement agency members were active and conscious to resist any sort of violence.
Superintendent of Police Zedan Musa of Sylhet range informed, “From my long experience of job I can say that many murders in Sylhet are committed for futile reasons. In fact, we have lost the family and the social bonds. We lack mutual respect and have no reliance on our own people, no one wants to assist other and there are no social or family values. As a result, the husband was killing wife, son killing his mother and father and vice-versa.”
He mentioned such criminal activities cannot be stopped through imposing legal punishment only rather it is the family values, religious values and social amity through which people of the society would be turned aside from such vicious activities and violent mentality.
