A visit to Bakherganj Bazar : 15^th May, 2003

Benoy Krishna Sinha, a businessman and quite well known person of the locality, Bakherganj Bazar. His village home is not very far from the Bazar about 2 km at Surigati. Bakherganj Bazar is his main business centre. He has rice mills and mills for making flattened rice (Chira) and a few Shrimp culture centres. The happy Sinha family has a University going son, Bipradas, a student of Second year honours in Sanskrit at Dhaka University and a lovely young daughter Biva Rani, a HSC examinee from Bangabandhu Mahila College, Chitalmari. The soft-spoken Benoy Babu did know what was awaiting to his fate on the date of 22^nd April, Tuesday. As usual the day began like any other typical April days, not very warm, nor also cool. His beloved daughter asked for a sum of Tk. 50, as she would go to Chitalmari town, about 4 km from Bakherganj Bazar, to her private tutor in a coaching centre. She proceeded to Chitalmari by bus. Since then Benoy Babu did know her whereabouts till he was asked by an unknown person from Khulna to take her daughter back from Khulna Bar premise on 29^th April.

What happened to Biva during those dreadful days ?

Our team constituted of Myself, Mr. Pankaj Bhattacharya, a socio political leader and Mr. Tareq Ali, a freedom fighter arrived Bagerhat town from Faridpur via Gopalganj and Mollarhat on Wednesday night around 11 pm, 14^th May, We put up in Bagerhat Ramkrishna Math where we were cordially received by the reverend Sanyashis (ascetics). There we were joined by renowned advocate M. A. Sabur, an well known personality of Bagerhat town, dedicated local social worker, and Advocate Rabindra Ghosh of Supreme Court Bar. On the following morning, we on way to village Surigati drove to Bakhergang Bazar about 10 km northeast from Bagerhat town and 4 km down south from Chitalmari. After reaching Bakherganj Bazar around 11-30 am we enquired about Benoy Babu. There we met Benoy Babu?s nephew Bibek Sinha, an owner of a small pharmacy who cordially received us in his shop. We were informed that Benoy Babu was at Chitalmari market and was immediately informed of our arrival. I talked to Bibek over the entire story that has been published in some dailies. He narrated the story in brief and answered some of my queries. According to him Benoy Babus are two brothers, elder one being Bijoy Sinha, father of Bibek. Bijoy Babu is now leading a retired life leaving his business to his sons Bibek and Tapan. I got the impression that Benoy Babu is not only a well-established businessman but also have the reputation of being an honest gentleman. I asked Bibek how many Sinha families are in Chitalmari now. He answered that they belong to great Namasudra caste of South Bengal,- now only six families remain in and around Bakherganj Bazar, most of them left for India over the years. Even two or three decades ago there were large number of Namasudra families in and around Bakherganj.

At about 12 noon Benoy Babu arrived at Bakherganj Bazar and sincerely apologized for keeping us waiting. He wanted to take us to his village home. But as we learned that his daughter and his wife are at Dhaka we preferred to talk to him there. We sat in a quiet place inside a dispensary of a local village doctor, Babu Shyamalendu Mandal. with Benoy Babu and some of his relatives including two cousins of Biva (Bibek and Tapan) and Biva?s pishemashay (phupha) Babu Jatindranath Mandal. From the narration of Biva?s father and other relatives the following story emerged which is simply hair-raising.

On 22^nd April in the afternoon Benoy Babu received a phone call after 7 hours she left home for her coaching centre at Chitalmari from Biva telling him that she was with one of her ailing friends (bandhabi). Although he could recognize her voice it appeared to him unnatural and nervous. When he asked for the address of her bandhabi, the phone was cutoff. This created doubt in his mind that Biva was forced to ring him and she might be in some trouble. The bewildered father ran from one after another seeking help and as she did not return even after dark he thought that her daughter must have been kidnapped. In the evening he got another telephone informing him that her daughter has been married to one Naren Majumdar according to Hindu social system.

It may be noted here that the said Naren is an employee of a Photocopying Shop, named Mufti Enterprise where Biva with her friends used to occasionally for photocopying notes and book materials. The shop is situated close to the college compound and used as a place of Addakhana (place of gossiping) by some vagabond young men. They used to tease college going girls. Her father doubts that these vagabonds perhaps induced Naren to make love with Biva. It was learnt later that Biva was picked up by not less 8 goondas including Naren using 4 motorbikes from a lonely place near Chitalmari Bazar. She was threatened with a pistol and acid bulb as her father came to know from his daughter later on.

Frustrated Father : What to do ?

Bewildered father with some of his relatives went to every possible house in Chitalmari where Biva could go. All their attempts failed to trace her; however they could gather information from the town that she was taken to Naren?s maternal uncle?s residence. But they failed to contact them in the night. The incident became a talk of the town. On the following morning the gloomy father went to the Chitalmari police station. But the officer in charge (OC) refused to take any FIR on the plea that this was a case of love affairs and police had nothing to do. The OC even advised the father as both of them were grown ups, the father should admit their marriage. He farther asked him not to bother the busy OC for this kind of silly things. Benoy Babu then sought the help of influential MP of Bagerhat M. H. Selim, who instructed the OC, Chitalmari on 24^th April to take the FIR and arrest the alleged culprits. In the meanwhile Benoy Babu was constantly being threatened over mobile phones not do any excess with matter and to file any case. If he did so, life of his daughter would be endangered.

After some dillydally OC however recorded a very dilute FIR written as per wish and dictation of the OC, on 27^th April, Benoy Babu alleged. Benoy Babu showed us the copy of the FIR. It was taken as a case of abduction under criminal act of repression on women and children 2000 under section 7 and 30. OC himself took the charge of investigation. The accused mentioned in the FIR were (1) Narendra Nath s/o late Jagadish Majumdar, of Madhya Shibpur, (2) Bhupen Das s/o late Bishnupada Das, (3) Jiten Das s/o (as above), (4) Jatin Das s/o Jiten Das, all of village Kuraltali under PS Chitalmari.

The local people got annoyed with the incident and inactiveness of the police administration. Benoy Babu, his relatives and local people of Bakherganj Bazar with whom we talked, freely alleged that although police admitted the case they were not showing any eagerness or interest to pursue it vigorously. It is obvious that either the police are under tremendous pressure from an influential coterie, or they are thoroughly inefficient. We noticed a sign of despair reflected on every body?s face- ?nothing would happen?, said the locals. Benoy Babu lost the courage of his mind, became disgusted with the administration, police and above all with the country. With tears in his eyes he told us in choked voice, ?We won?t be able to live here any longer. Perhaps a section of people does not want it either that we should live here with honour and dignity. And those are now most powerful.? He further continued, ?nothing will come out of the case- no real culprits would ever be caught.? For this very reason after getting back his daughter he did not pursue to get her daughter medically examined. He said to us, ?Sir what is the use ? When police didn?t want to, why should I expose my innocent daughter for further humiliation and embarrassing questioning ? The administration has taken full advantage of the situation. The civil surgeon has taken a written statement from the girl that she willfully declined to go through medical examination. This has evidently weakened the already diluted case. Police however arrested two secondary accused of the case namely, Bhupen Das (48) and Jatin Das (30).

In the meanwhile on 27^th April, Benoy Babu received a mobile phone call from Khulna instructing him to come to a specific place at Khulna court premise alone on 29^th April to take her daughter back. He was sternly warned not to take any police help and must not come with police escort. If he did otherwise, his daughter would be simply killed. On arriving at Khulna court premise on the specified spot he was asked by one unknown person to follow him. He was finally taken to a PP and taken signatures on a few stamp-papers. In one of these papers was written ?I got back my daughter (amar meyeke bujhiya pailam).? In another paper was written that Biva and Naren were married through Hindu social customs. As far as he remembered he had to sign yet another paper wherein it was written that Benoy Babu would not proceed further in regard to this incident. He had also signed some blank stamp papers. Benoy Babu admitted that out of fear of loosing his daughter once again he did whatever they wanted him to do. Finally in the afternoon of 29^th April his daughter was handed over to him. On the same night he along with some of his relatives brought back Biva in a very sick and mentally unbalanced state of mind to their village home at Surigati. On the following morning (30. 05. 03) she was taken to OC Chitalmari, who saw the deplorable condition of girl and took her to Bagerhat and produced before a first class magistrate. The learned magistrate recorded the unfortunate girl?s pathetic statement (Jabanbandi) under the Act of 'repression on women and children'. Learning from his daughter and seeing her pitiable physical state and mental condition, the description of torture on her he gave to us is simply terrible and nicely fits with a typical criminal novel. There is no doubt that Biva has fallen in the hands of a very powerful and influential wicked coterie and their network is quite wide spread. It is no wonder why the OC and police administration are behaving so naively and showed no interest in the case. And precisely for this reason Benoy Babu lost all interest to pursue the case. His only concern is how to save his beloved daughter from further harassment and torture. Shall we blame him ? After seeing the inhuman treatment she had received- physical and psychological at the hands of the kidnappers any parents would invariably show such reaction. That is quite natural ! From the tit bits that her daughter narrated to him and the family members Benoy Babu had formed a total idea what happened to his daughter during those seven days from 22-29^th April. According to his reconstructed story that he narrated to us she was kidnapped by a group of gangsters from near Chitalmari market place as she was proceeding to a coaching centre. She was kept at Chitalmari for two days. There she was physically and mentally tortured but those seemed too little as compared to terrible tortures she had subsequently. She was forced to sign a few blank papers during her confinement, and subsequently she was removed to Khulna town. She was confined in Khulna town in two or three different houses. In there she was exposed to inhuman torture- physical, sexual and mental, nights after nights for continuous three or four days. Those beasts seared her delicate body at different places with burning cigarette buds, cut her back and other parts criss-cross with a sharp knife. In narrating this horrible tale the bewildered father broke into tears again and again. ?Tell me sir, what shall we do ? Can we do any thing against this powerful coterie ??

Readers, put yourself in those terrible nights at the mercy of those beasts. And try to imagine what agonizing and dreadful experience the girl had. If she is still alive- this is only because of her self-determination and will power. My hats off to that courageous young lady who had never given up fighting with only bare hands. The courage and determination ultimately defeated the evil force at least temporarily. The evils had to surrender to her demand ?return me to my parents?.

We had no language to solace Benoy Babu, the unfortunate father, at this distressed hour, but only wished him ?we are with you?. This must have appeared to him as an empty sound as he as well we knew at heart that we are as helpless as he is. A few days after returning from Khulna, Biva?s father told us, she was taken to Dhaka for through medical treatment. She is now in a Trauma Centre at Dhaka for treatment. Mr. Sinha requested me to see her daughter and gave me the contact address. We drove to Chitalmari. It was then 1-30 pm.

Meeting with OC, Chitalmari

After taking leave of him we proceeded to Chitalmari police station to meet the much talked about officer in charge (OC). After hearing OC?s version of the incident it appeared to me that most of the allegations made against him by Benoy Babu have basis. Calm, quiet, sloppy and easy-going type as he seemed to be with fatty stature OC was in a very cheerful mood then. He received us with unusual cordiality. He admitted that the FIR recoded by Benoy Babu is just a so so type, and did not bear much importance. When asked why did he refuse to take the FIR at the very first instance and didn?t try to prevent the attackers to leave Chitalmari with the victim. He had practically no answer, and tried to change the issue. When we specifically asked why he didn?t take any action against those holders of mobile phone numbers (given to him by Biva?s father) from where constant threatening messages were being transmitted to Benoy Babu, he tried to evade the question. I told him that Naren, the main culprit, according to the FIR, is a small fry, a low paid petty employee of small photocopying shop. I asked the OC point blank how on earth Naren being a small man and more over belonging to Hindu minority community dare to abduct a girl to forcibly marry, not even match for her nail, in Chitalmari town under the very nose of such a capable OC like you ? Don?t you think Mr. OC, Naren was being used as a Shikhandi (shield) of more powerful terrorist network about which you as an OC must have full knowledge. I asked him once again ?are you afraid of them?? The OC felt very embarrassed and kept mum. Our lawyer friend Mr. Sabur said ?you have weakened the case when you induced Biva not to go through medical examination and chemical analysis of her inner garments.? He however vehemently denied that he had influenced her decision not to go for medical examination before the civil surgeon, but admitted that Biva?s decision has softened the case, although he insisted that after the girl?s jabanbandi the character of the case changed drastically.

We gather that not only the police administration but also even the civil administration is incapable of working independently as they are under constant threat of powerful influential gong led by one Shajahan Mian. We were told that Shahjahan Mian is the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan of Chitalmari. While taking leave of the OC, I told him we want to see at least one OC loosing his job at the hands of the local emperors when he tried to act independently and neutrally. But are there such police officials- but how many ? In a melancholy mood we left the police station for Dhaka. It was then 3-30 pm. I was thinking in myself can we not do anything to break this mafia-phenomenon from our socio-political culture ? But who would do it, who would lead us to that jehad ? Honestly I don't have the answer. This makes me sadder.

?....And justice weeping silently and furtively at power misused,

No hope of redress.?

Epilogue

After returning to Dhaka, I got in touch with the girl. I had a long conversation with her not only centering the incident but on many other topics. This would form the next episode of my serial"Bicharer Bani Nirabe Nivrite Kande... "