Rajshahi people on Monday formed a human chain in the city protesting against the physical assault on a Santal woman and setting her house on fire at Rajabirat village of Gobindaganj upazila in Gaibandha.
Around 100 people, under the banner of 鈥楬uman Rights Defenders鈥� Forum, Rajshahi鈥� formed the human chain in the Saheb Bazar Zero Point area at 10:30am, demanding exemplary punishment of those involved in the incident.
Addressing the human chain, Jatiya Adivasi Parishad central committee organising secretary Bimal Chandra Rajowar said that the attacks on the ethnic minority people continued due to the existing culture of impunity.
鈥楾he attack on ethnic minority people at Rajabirat village is no stray incident. It was carried out by local union parishad chairman and Gobindaganj upazila BNP convening committee member Rafiqul Islam and his followers to occupy the Santal peoples鈥� ancestral land鈥�, he alleged.
Freedom fighter Shahjahan Ali Barjahan urged the interim government to protect ethnic minority people from the Bengali land grabbers, through ensuring their fundamental human rights.
The speakers also demanded immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of UP chairman Rafiqul and his followers for beating Santal woman and setting her house on fire.
Among others, ethnic minority leaders Ganesh Mardi, Andias Biswas, and Shanta Biswas spoke at the human chain.
On Friday, UP chairman Rafiqul and his followers reportedly beat up Santal woman Filimona Hasda and set her house on fire at Rajabirat village of Gobindaganj over a land dispute.
Following the incident, Gaibandha district BNP expelled Rafiqul from the organisation for breaching the party鈥檚 discipline.
Filimona鈥檚 son Julius Soren filed a case against Rafiqul, his brother Mezbahul Islam, and four of the chairman鈥檚 followers on Saturday.