People from the Santal community in Gaibandha today blocked Dhaka-Rangpur Highway for an hour demanding cancellation of the charge sheet in a case filed over the attack on a Santal village in Gobindaganj upazila.

On November 6, 2016, a tripartite clash broke out between the Santals, staff of Rangpur Sugar Mills, and police over the eviction of the indigenous people from the disputed land at Shahebganj cane farm of Rangpur Sugar Mills. The clash left three Santal men dead and 20 others, including nine policemen, injured.

On July 28, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted the charge sheet, without naming any policemen.

Today, the santal people under the banner of Shahebgonj-Bagdafirm Bhumi Uddhar Songram Committee brought out a rally around 10:00am from Bagdafirm and paraded the important thoroughfares in Shahebgonj.

Later, they staged a sit-in programme in Char Matha area blocking the Dhaka-Rangpur Highway for one hour.

Terming the charge sheet “biased and manipulated”, Philimon Baske, president of the committee, said PBI had dropped the names of the main accused from the charge sheet.

“Proper investigation was not carried out for preparing the charge sheet,” he alleged, demanding cancellation of the charge sheet and preparing a fresh one with the names of the main accused included in it.

Earlier, on August 27, three Santals were injured in an attack by Ansar and employees of Rangpur (Mahimaganj) Sugar Mills when they barred the employees of mill from cultivating a disputed land as per order of local administration.