The prominent local daily "Pratham Alo" came out with a story on 5. 05. 02 with a caption

I wonder what is happening in Bangladesh. I picked up my telephone to get hold of its editor Mr. Matiur Rahman, a good friend and an old time leftist. I was contemplating to ask him what is the use of publishing such stories if we could not impress our administrators (police or civil) and top leadership who matters including our great lady Madam Prime Minster ?. Would it not increase the agony and anguish of the victims and further expose them to the anger of the miscreants? Fortunately he was not available over the phone. The gentleman at the news desk, a young journalist perhaps, politely said that story is based on facts- and no exaggeration.

The village was still sleeping with babies cradled with their moms, couples having a nice dreamy sleep,- in fact all members of 4 families are in deep sleep; only two gentlemen Bimal and Rajendra of the Bhowmick family got alert as they heard cracking sounds of cocktails or bombs. They hurriedly came out of their house saw blazing of fire on two cowsheds. They shouted full throat "Come out, Fire .. Fire. " That was on Friday Morning at 4 a.m.

We came to know later from our source that a group of terrorists set fire on 10 houses of 4 families of Hindu minorities - all burnt to ashes. The place of occurrence is

Village: Haludiya at Mudaffarganj, Upazila (PS): Laksham, District: Comilla.

Here is the story….

The miscreants attacked the village early morning on Friday, 3^rd May. The inmates of those houses heard cracking sound of cocktails or firecrackers early in the morning at about 4 a.m. They hurriedly came out of their houses and saw that houses meant for cowsheds were set fire. They cried out asking the other inmates who are still sleeping in their respective rooms. Instantly the fire spread out in front of the puzzled inmates of 4 family members assembled on the open space to see helplessly that everything they had inside were burnt to ashes within 10 - 15 minutes. Rice, Dal and other stock of edibles, cash money, ornaments, and other valuable properties. The estimated loss would be over 16 lakhs BD taka.

A Police force, headed by the OC of Laksham visited the place of occurrence on the basis of a GD and found only ashes and charcoals of the burnt properties are left. The inmates did not have any time to bring out any valuables from inside. Mr. Rajendra Chandra Bhowmick and Bimal Chandra Bhowmick, two inmate of those 4-families saw first that miscreants had set fire on the two cow-sheds and perhaps could recognize at least three known terrorists of the locality, but they or any other inmates of the affected families dare to mention their names. For this very reason they did not file any case or complained against any one. So fear they are of the terrorists of the locality.

The local BNP leaders (Mr. Md. Shajahan Mian and Siddiqur Rahman Member told that these 4-families are very innocent people and are in no way associated with any political activities of any party, nor do they have personal enemies, as far as they knew. But they are hundred percent sure the fire was set from outside- and there is no denying of the fact.

Yesterday, May 3, the local MP Mr. Col (retd.) Anwarul Azim accompanied by Additional DC (General) of Comilla, Mr Moniruzzaman and other top district officials visited the affected village of Haludiya at Mudaffarganj.