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Eid day death threat to Kadianis
Amanur Aman, Kushtia

At least 70 members of Kadiani families at Uttarbhabanipur are languishing holed up in their at houses as village leaders have called for death to all Kadianis on the Eid-day if they do not embrace Islam by then.

“We feel totally insecure,” they said when a group of journalists with former justice KM Sobhan and writer Sharier Kabir Sunday visited the village under Mirpur upazila, 35 kilometers from Kushtia district headquarters.

Earlier on October 24, at a meeting at Dharampur bazar, Union BNP leader Jalal Uddin urged the villagers to sever all contacts with the Kadianis on the basis of a Fatwa that any connection with the Kadianis was against Islam. Since then the ostracised families remained confined to their homes. All Kadiani children have stopped going to schools.

A local leader of Jaamat-e-Islami of the area, Moulana Abdur Razzak reportedly issued the Fatwa.

A number of Kadianis have fled homes in fear of persecution by the fundamentalists early this month.

Kushtia Police Superintendent Abdus Salam visited the area and held talks with the locals on November 4. He later said that the situation was under control and asked the Kadianis who fled homes to return to their dwellings.

“Many of the families have been forced to sign an undertaking that they would embrace Islam after returning home,” said one Sabir Ali, a Kadiani. “BNP leader Meherul, his accomplices Pacha alias Palan, Amir, Mozammel, and Khokan as well as Samim and Khalil of Jaamat are threatening us with dire consequences. Of them Khokon is a close associate of BNP lawmaker Shahidul Islam (Bheramara-Mirpur),” said another member of the Kadianis, seeking anonymity.