Uttam Barua, the Buddhist youth whose Facebook page image was doctored with an anti-Islam post to incite the 2012 Ramu attack, is still missing.

Neither law enforcers nor his family know his whereabouts seven years after Uttam, who worked as an assistant of a deed writer, went missing during the mayhem on the night of September 29, 2012.

Islamist fanatics vandalised and torched 19 Buddhist temples and over 100 houses in Ramu, Ukhia, Teknaf, and Cox’s Bazar Sadar upazilas and Chattogram’s Patia following a fake Facebook post.

Of the temples, 14 were in Ramu and four in Ukhia.

Some 19 cases were filed in connection with this incident. Later, a case was withdrawn.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Uttam’s wife Rita Barua, who is now living in a rented house near Uttam’s home in Ramu upazila town, said she and her 10-year-old son Adittya Barua were passing hard days due to financial hardship.

Rita used to work at a computer shop but she does not have the job now.

“I run my family with a little financial help from my father’s side,” said Rita. 

When the mayhem began, Uttam fled home to save his life. He could not say anything about where he would go, said Rita, adding, “We looked for Uttam in every possible place, but we could not find him.”

“My son Adittya was only three years old at that time. Now he is 10.”

She said education expenses of Adittya, who is a fourth grader, became an extra burden on her. She did not know how far she could continue supporting his education.

Many victim families got assistance from different government and non-government organisations, but her family did not get anything, claimed Rita.

Talking to this correspondent, Uttam’s mother Madhobi Barua, who has a 16-year-old mentally-challenged daughter, said they were going through financial hardship as her husband was unemployed. He worked at a shop in Chattogram city.

Abul Khayer, officer-in-charge of Ramu Police Station, said, “After the mayhem, a case was filed making Uttam the prime accused. Police have submitted a charge sheet before the court accusing him. But police could not find him.”