A sense of panic has engulfed the Dakshinkhan area of Gazipur following an attack on students at the residence of Awami League leader and former liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque.
During a visit to the area around 5:00pm on Saturday, the once-busy neighborhood was found deserted, with homes locked and streets devoid of movement.
Moving a little further along the Tongi-Joydebpur road from Akkas Market in Gazipur city, the former minister’s residence stands on the right. Its main gate was locked, with broken glass, wood, and ceramic shards lying scattered on the premises.
There are around 40 to 50 houses in the neighborhood. Most of them seemed abandoned, with multiple locks on their gates. The usually bustling roads now remain eerily quiet, with no people or vehicles in sight.
The students were attacked at night on Friday. Since then, people of the locality left homes to avoid arrest or harassment. Locals said the police arrested some individuals immediately after the incident, prompting the others to flee the locality, fearing arrests and further police actions.
The tin-roofed residence of Abul Baset is located on the western side of Mozammel Haque’s house.
Abul Baset’s wife Kulsum Begum, who is in her sixties, said, “After the Isha prayer on Friday, I suddenly heard a sound of vandalism. The mosque loudspeaker announced that robbers were breaking into the minister’s house. A commotion followed, and people rushed in to attack.”
She later came to know that students sustained injuries in the attack. “Since then, everyone has left the locality due to fear. We are also keeping our gate locked,” she said.
A female resident of a house adjacent to the mosque, requesting anonymity, said the mosque had been locked since the night of the attack. “No one is even going to offer prayers, fearing harassment,” she added.
Another local, Afia Begum, said people use the road from morning until late at night. But there is no one around now. It feels like a ghost locality.
