The victims of an attack that led to the killing of two people in Sonaimuri upazila of Noakhali district in 2016 were implicated in the chargesheet of a case filed over the sensational incident, ‘shrinking the path to justice’.

Police pressed charges against 609 people, including 114 members of Hezbut Tawheed who were also injured in the attack, before a local court on 30 November 2018.

Sayeed Mia, the then sub-inspector of Sonaimuri Police Station, filed the case against Hanif Molla, chairman of Chashirhat Union Parishad, and several hundred unknown people on 15 March 2016.

On 14 March 2016, a large number of Hezbut Tawheed members gathered at the house of Nurul Haque, a member of Chashirhat UP and father of current Hezbut Tawheed Imam Hossain Mohammad Salim, at Porkora village in Sonaimuri for building a mosque there, according to the chargesheet.

However, local people opposed the mosque construction, leading to a brawl with 150-200 Hezbut Tawheed men.

Later, several thousand people, led by Hanif, swooped on the organisation members, slaughtering two of them after labelling them as ‘kafirs’ and spreading rumours that they were building a church in the name of mosque.

The attackers also burned down the bodies of the deceased -- Ibrahim Khalil Rubel and Solaiman Khokon.

After long investigation, sub-inspector Tomas Barua, also investigation officer of the case, submitted a chargesheet against 609 accused, including UP Chairman Hanif Molla and the 114 Hezbut Tawheed men who were also injured in the attack, said Advocate Nazrul Islam, a lawyer of the victims.

Of the 114 Hezbut Tawheed members, six were women and six children and elderly people.

According to the column No. 7 of the chargesheet, “Police, RAB and BGB members rescued 114 men, women and children (members of Hezbut Tawheed) from the attackers. When they were being taken to safety, the attackers swooped on them again.”

“They also attacked the law enforces and tried to snatch the rescued people. At one point, they opened fire at the law enforcers, leaving constable Abdur Rahim injured. Brick chips hurled by the attackers injured 8-10 policemen,” it added.

“Later, the attackers in several groups put up barricades on roads and hurled petrol bombs at the law enforcers and vandalised their vehicles. Then, the law enforcers fired bullets and teargas shells to disperse them,” says the chargesheet.

However, it was mentioned one line later that 114 members of Hezbut Tawheed gathered at the spot illegally and hurt religious sentiments and that’s why they were included in the chargesheet.

A total of 176 people, including locals, policemen and doctors, were made witnesses in the case.

This correspondent talked to witness No. 2 named Mohammad Shahid, son of late Lal Mia of Jahanabad in Sonaimuri.  He told the Daily Sun that he went to the spot after hearing and seeing fire.

Advocate Nazrul said, “As the eyewitnesses were made accused in the chargesheet, the real culprits may finally get off scot-free.”

He said he filed a petition with the lower court seeking to drop the names of 114 people from the chargesheet. “But the court rejected my pleas. Then I moved the High Court when it exempted them from personal appearance before the lower court. They’re still accused in the case.”

The hearing on his petition seeking their acquittal and instead making them witnesses in the case is still pending, the lawyer said, adding that the trial court is yet to frame charges in the case.

Contacted, Additional Deputy Inspector General of police SM Ashrafuzzaman, who was then additional superintendent of police of Noakhali district and led the policemen to the spot during the attack, told the Daily Sun that the 114 members of Hezbut Tawheed were rightfully included in the chargesheet.

“Why did so many members gather there that day? Their words hurt religious sentiments of other people. That’s why they were included in the chargesheet,” he said.

SM Shamsul Huda, information secretary of Hezbut Tawheed, told the Daily Sun that they gathered there for constructing a mosque. “I don’t know how we hurt the religious sentiments,” he said.

He said four accused -- Jahir Uddin, Saifullah, Saiful Islam and Mohsin -- were not included in the chargesheet though they directly took part in the attack.

As Nurul Haque was a five-time UP member and wanted to vie as a chairman candidate, Hanif Molla plotted to remove him from the race through carrying out the attack, Shamsul claimed. “Before the barbaric incident, Hanif and his cohorts distributed leaflets labelling Nurul Haque and his family as ‘kafirs’.”

Ela Yasmeen, elder sister of deceased Solaiman Khokon, told the Daily Sun that her brother went to Sonaimuri to work as a volunteer for constructing a mosque. “The mosque for which my brother was killed is now a four-storey one. Many people offer prayers in it five times a day.”

Pattern of heinous double murder

The way Rubel and Solaiman Khokon were killed will send shivers down one’s spine.

The attackers first severed tendons of legs and hands of the two victims. Then they cut off their sensitive organs, gouged out eyes and slaughtered them. They indulged in marrying-making with the uprooted eyes and finally burnt down the bodies by pouring petrol in broad daylight.

They also demolished the under-construction mosque and torched some houses and 13 motorcycles.