Desk Report:
In Sadarpur, Faridpur, looting took place during the distribution of hilsa for 10 taka each among the needy. Many of the poor people got angry after not getting the fish and surrounded the distributor. The incident took place on Wednesday afternoon at the Bishwa Zaker Manzil Government High School grounds in Sadar Upazila.
Today, at around 11 am, Mufti Raihan Jamil, a resident and businessman of the neighboring Charbhadrasan Upazila, organized the distribution of hilsa for a nominal 10 taka each among 600 needy families in the upazila at the school grounds.
Currently, he is involved in the flat business as well as teaching at a coaching center in Dolaipar, Jatrabari, Dhaka. Local residents said that he wants to be an MP candidate in the upcoming national elections.
It was learned from talking to the organizers and eyewitnesses that Raihan Jamil arranged four maunds of fish to distribute hilsa for 10 taka each among 600 needy families. Each fish weighs between 250 grams. The market price is 1,000 to 1,200 taka per kg. According to this, the price of each piece of fish is 250 to 300 taka.
After the incident, some eyewitnesses said that the previous day, there was a miking about the sale of hilsa for 10 taka. On hearing this news, people from different villages of the upazila rushed there. At one stage, chaos arose there. The volunteer members failed to control the situation. That’s when looting started. At least six people were injured in a stampede.
At one stage, Raihan Jamil quickly left the place. Later, when he reached the neighboring Bhashanchar Union Parishad area, a mob angry at not getting fish surrounded his car. In such a situation, he somehow escaped from there with the help of local residents.
An old man named Johura Begum, who had come to buy hilsa, lamented, “We are poor people. I came to the school ground in the morning after hearing the news of hilsa being sold for 10 taka on the miking. I almost fell ill after standing for a few hours. But I had to return empty-handed if I didn’t get the fish.’
Nuru Sheikh, a local resident who came to get the hilsa, said, ‘I had been standing in the school grounds since morning after hearing the news that hilsa would be given for just 10 taka. But there were more people than fish. So I had to return empty-handed if I didn’t get the fish. At that time, people were pushing and fighting. Later, I saw the MP candidate himself running away.’
Local resident Md. Titu Islam said that he did not make any specific announcement about how many people he would give hilsa fish to. However, he brought 600 pieces of hilsa fish (four and a half maunds) to give. But the number of people was at least two thousand. When people did not get hilsa, they started making a fuss.
When asked about these matters, Mufti Raihan Jamil told Ajker Patrika, ‘I took this initiative for those who cannot afford to buy and eat hilsa. But some miscreants deliberately created chaos by gathering a large crowd and looting and spoiling the event. Later, I had to quickly leave due to security reasons.’
Sukdev Roy, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sadarpur police station, said, ‘I had warned him in advance. He carried out this hilsa distribution program as he wished without listening to us. Later, chaos broke out. After receiving the information, the police were sent to control the situation.’
