With no trace of assailants, family of Khairul Haque cries for justice

A Correspondent

TANGLA: After more than a month, justice still remains a mirage for the family of Khairul Haque, a Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) worker who was assassinated by unidentified gunman at No. 2 Garuajhar in Udalguri district on the fateful evening of February 21. The family members of Khairul Haque are desperately waiting for the day when police will inform them that the culprits have been nabbed.

“Our bor-deuta (uncle) never engaged in brawl or maintained enmity with anyone in the village, nor was he a top brass leader to be targeted by anti-social elements. It is hard to digest that he can be targeted and killed by gunmen,” said Reshima Yesmin, the 18-year old niece of Haque sitting in the verandah of their cottage overlooking their tea-plantation.

“We have lent all possible cooperation to the Paneri police investigating the case. They have also impounded the bicycle of our uncle but have not made any breakthrough in the case, let alone arrest the culprits,” rued her sister Rupsana Yesmin (15). “We hope that police apprehend the culprits and our uncle gets justice,” she added.

Both Rupsana and Reshima also visit the locked one-room house of their deceased uncle every evening to burn incessant sticks and light candles as the wife, daughter and son of Haque live in Dhula of neighbouring Dhula district.

Jaheda Begum, wife of Minarul Haque, the brother of deceased Khairul, also echoed her daughters’ words and appealed to the police to investigate the case and apprehend the culprits at the earliest.

“Police have not established the motive behind the murder nor arrested the assailants and the investigation has reached a dead end despite local villagers and eye-witnesses saying that the assailants were on a scooter. They could even give the last four digits of the scooter. We are made to believe that there is a political conspiracy behind his murder ahead of the BTC polls to deter the party workers of BPF,” said a BPF party worker of Nonoi Serfang Block BPF.

Earlier, BTC supremo Hagrama Mohillary also smelled political conspiracy behind the killing of Haque and said, “Ahead of every elections in the Bodo belt, be it assembly, Parliament or BTC polls, there have been such ghastly killings.”

While Officer-in-charge of Paneri PS, Mantu Talukdar declined to comment on the matter. When contacted by this correspondent, Additional Superintendent of Police of Udalguri, Bidyut Das Boro said, “We have not been able to make any breakthrough in the case and are investigating it.” Pertinently, Khairul Haque was shot dead from point blank range on a road bridge near 2 No. Garuajhar in Udalguri on the evening of February 22.

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