The family of Junaid Farazi, who was killed during a student movement against discrimination, has accused Abu Alam Madbor, Chairman of Rajnagar Union Parishad under Naria Upazila in Shariatpur, of a crude bomb explosion at Junaid’s grave and an attack and vandalism of their house.
At a press conference held on Tuesday afternoon in the court premises of Shariatpur, Junaid’s father Shah Alam Farazi and mother Dolly Begum detailed the incident and demanded a fair investigation and swift legal action against the accused. They stated, “Without justice, even the soul of our deceased son Junaid will not find peace.”
On the other hand, UP Chairman Abu Alam denied the allegations of attack and vandalism at Junaid’s home, claiming he is being falsely implicated for political reasons.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Naria Police Station, Aslam Uddin Molla, confirmed that a case had been filed in connection with the incident.
The OC said, “A case has been filed by Shah Alam Farazi, father of the deceased Junaid, regarding the vandalism and bomb explosion at his house. We have not yet been able to arrest any accused. However, efforts to apprehend them are ongoing, and the investigation is in progress.”
According to local sources, police, and the family, on July 19, 2024, Junaid Farazi, a resident of Bildaewnia village in Rajnagar Union, Shariatpur, was shot dead during a student protest against discrimination in the Mirpur-10 area of Dhaka. Later, on October 24, Junaid’s father Shah Alam Farazi filed a murder case with the Mirpur Model Police Station, naming 67 individuals, including Rajnagar UP Chairman Abu Alam Madbor.
The family alleges that Chairman Abu Alam Madbor has been threatening them at various times to have his name removed from the case. As a consequence, the attack occurred at dawn on April 1. Following this, agitated locals allegedly set fire to the chairman’s house.
Shah Alam Farazi stated, “Our family is living in insecurity. The authorities have not been able to arrest the accused yet. We demand their immediate arrest, otherwise, we could face another attack at any time.”
At the press conference, he further said that on the morning of April 1, followers of Chairman Abu Alam Madbor attacked their house, carried out extensive vandalism, broke the fence around their son Junaid’s grave, and detonated a cocktail bomb at the site. He has filed a case naming 20 individuals and accusing another 10–12 unidentified people.
In a tearful voice, Junaid’s mother, Dolly Begum, said, “Abu Alam’s men vandalized my house, took away money, and even laid hands on me. My heart broke when I saw them breaking the fence around my son’s grave. They even set off a cocktail bomb on his grave. Even in death, my son’s soul hasn’t found peace. I want justice.”
When asked further, Shah Alam Farazi added, “The allegation that our people set fire to the homes of Chairman Abu Alam and his cousin Kamal Madbor is baseless. Abu Alam has been oppressing the locals for years. None of my family members or relatives set fire to his house. They cannot prove it. The angry mob, who were fed up with his tyranny, might have done it. But I or my family don’t know who did it.”
On the other hand, Rajnagar UP Chairman Abu Alam Madbor, when contacted via WhatsApp call, claimed, “I have been falsely implicated in a fabricated case. I was not involved in Junaid’s murder. Junaid was killed in Dhaka, and I was in the country at the time. I have no knowledge of who attacked Junaid’s house on the 1st. They themselves vandalized their home and framed me. They even set fire to my house and that of my cousin. Now I don’t know where to seek justice.”
He further stated, “Back in 2010, a man named Liton Bepari from our area was murdered. I was a witness in that murder case. Because of that, someone is using Shah Alam Farazi to frame me with these false allegations. I am currently hiding with my family.”
