Noakhali Correspondent

An expatriate family in Companiganj, Noakhali, called the national emergency service number 999 to prevent house encroachment. However, instead of helping, the Companiganj police have accused seven members of the family and arrested them.

Expatriate Jahangir Alam Azad, victim, made this allegation at a press conference organized at a restaurant in Chaprashirhat Bazar of the upazila on Tuesday morning.

Expatriate Jahangir Alam Azad alleged that he had been living abroad for 30 years as a remittance fighter and used his hard-earned expatriate money to buy a 13-acre plot in Charafkira Union of Companiganj. He built a boundary wall around the place, built a semi-paca house and a tin set house inside and rented it out. Seven families have been living in that house for a long time. On January 26, when he went to collect rent from his tenants, some terrorists led by Jafar and Rakib, who are supporters of fascism and land grabbers, tried to snatch the rent money from him. When he resisted, they beat him up and forcibly snatched the collected rent money. At one stage, they suddenly attacked him and his tenants, claiming that they would get a place with him.

When other members of his family went to get information, they also attacked them. At that time, they vandalized and destroyed everything including their house and doors. The victim expatriate claimed that he suffered a loss of 25 lakh taka. He further said, "When I was helpless, I called the national emergency service number 999, the police and the army came and rescued us in the presence of journalists. Later, local UP member Abul Kalam lied to the police and took them to the police station, saying that seven members of our family would be safely evacuated from there. At this stage, they were arrested and handed over to the court. On the contrary, my houses are occupied by terrorists under the umbrella of Abul Kalam member. In such a situation, I am seeking the cooperation of senior police officers and the interim government, as I have not received any satisfactory cooperation from the Companiganj police station administration.

Present at the time were expatriate Jahangir Alam Azad's wife Ferdaus Begum, sister Lutfun Nahar, younger son Samiul Arafat, neighbors Mohiuddin Masum, Md. Kamrul and Saiful Islam, etc.

Rejecting the allegations, Abul Kalam, UP member of Ward No. 5 of Charafkira Union, said that expatriate Azad got into a gang and attacked the people of the opposition. When a tense situation arose there, they entered the house and closed the door. On receiving information, law enforcement members rescued them.

When asked about the allegations, Companiganj Police Station OC Gazi Muhammad Foujul Azim told this reporter over the phone, "I was on leave on the day of the incident. We will have to investigate the matter and tell you."