Barishal Correspondent :
At least 10 political activists have been killed in Hijla and Mehendiganj upazilas of Barishal district and controlling fish business in 10 years due to internal corruption of Awami League.
Last March 16, a follower of Pankaj Nath of Awami League named Jamal Majhi of Dhulkhola Union was hacked to death. Police recovered Jamal’s blood-stained body from a soybean field in Dhulakhola Union. A case has been filed against 70 people including Dhulkhola UP Chairman Jamal Dhali in this incident.
According to locals Jamal Dhali was earlier a follower of Pankaj Nath but now he has joined rival Shammi Ahmed’s group. At the root of this political killing are the various fish ghats of Mehendiganj which are controlled by the chairmen of the Union Parishad.
Although it is said to be a political revenge of the two top people of Awami League, the local people think that it is mainly due to the spread of dominance including fish ghat control. Due to lack of communication and lack of presence of law and order forces, one after another murders committed there.
According to local sources there are at least 100 fish ghats on the banks of Meghna River in Mehendiganj and Hijla upazilas. Crores of taka from hilsa trades is extracted from these fishing grounds every year. To hand over these hilsa to wholesalers, more than 100 million taka of illegal tolls are collected every season from hundreds of fish wharves temporarily built on the banks of Meghna river.
The local chairmen are mainly involved in hilsa fishing and hilsa smuggling trades by giving the fishermen control over these fishing grounds, the locals sources said.
Local fishermen said that although the Dhulkhola fish ghat was under the control of Jamal Majhi, who murdered recently. In the meantime Dr. Shammi Ahmed was sworn in as selected lawmaker of reserved seat for women and control of the fish ghats were taken over by local chairman Jamal Dhali. Thus, with every political change, the fish market also changes here.
Najmul Hossain Akash, a former professor of Patarhat College, said that the political violence started here from the illegal income of the fish ghats. To stop this, local government leaders must work together.
In 2016 Union Parishad elections, this series of murders started with the killing of boat worker Charumia in Bhasanchar Union Parishad elections.
Earlier Nannu member of Hijla Dhulkhola Union was killed by the opponent. On May 20, 2021, Abdus Sattar Dhali and Siddiqur Rahman of Saldi village of North Ulania Union of Mehendiganj were killed.
One year after that Shahid Chowdhury and Saiful Islam Sardar were killed in a clash between two factions of Awami League in South Ulania. Apart from this, those who have been killed in the last ten years are Mehendiganj Upazila Charhogala UP member Fakhrul Islam Howladar, Afsar Hossain of Gobindpur in the municipal area, and two political activists have been killed in Sreepur Union.
Four murders occurred in the north and south of Ulania alone. Basically, this murder happened around the Union Parishad elections.
On August 18, 2022, the clash became so widespread that even after entering the hospital, the opposing political followers hacked and injured the political leaders and activists who were being treated.
After recent murders, Awami League released Pankaj Nath from all party positions after this discussed incident. There is also conflict and tension among the followers of Shammi Ahmad. These tensions often erupted into political conflict-even killings.
However, although many say that the police failed in this one after another killing, the police are saying that all political groups and the control of illegal fish ghats are responsible for the violence.
