On 30 November 2022 Bakul Begum who is the local leader of Bangladesh Kishani Sabha, an associate organization of Bangladesh Krishok Federation was chopped to death by the local land terrorists. This incident took place in a small island situated in the southern coastal district of Bangladesh called Bhola.This district is riverine and there are a lot of small islands where landless peasants are living for their lives and livelihood.The island where Bakul Begum was murdered is an island like one of them. However, this island was occupied by Bangladesh Krishok Federation and Bangladesh Kishani Sabha in 1996 after a historic conference which was called southern ’Landless People Conference’ in the same year.

Bakul Begum originally came from a family based in the far south-western district, Bagherhar of the country. She would live with her husband in the island called Sikdarerchar in which as many as 500 families live. Her husband is also an activist who is the leader of Bangladesh Krishok Federation. She started living in Sikdarerchar since 2007 and mixed with landless families in the Char. Mixing with poor landless people, she became very soft to them and committed to work for them. She started working heart and soul to bring stability in the char(island) so that the poor residents can get relief from the torture of the miscreants. She tried to confirm permanent settlements for the residents of Khasland in the char. She started mobilizing and lobbying with local administration challenging the influential locals and land terrorists. For this she got killing threats several times from the terrorists. She faced their threat very courageously and sometimes made GD (General Diary) entries with the police station to take action against them. So this is the key fact which made her life at great risk.

After the murder her dead body was taken to a forensic morgue for autopsy and postmortem by the police. Afterwards she was taken to her own village in Bagherhat District for burial activities. He left behind one daughter who is 7 years old.

It can be pointed out that Bakul Begum’s elder sister Mukul Begum was with her on the tragic night for Bakul Begum. Both of them were sleeping in the same hut at night. So early in the morning the killers broke into the house to start chopping discriminately. Her sister Mukul Begum was also chopped brutally on the neck and throat. They tried to slaughter her but she was saved luckily. However, with a serious wound she was hospitalised in Barisal Shere Bangla Medical College and later referred to the capital city Dhaka Orthopaedics Hospital. In the hospital she had to go through several operations as she had deep cuts in the throat and vein in the hand. She stayed in the hospital for more than one month. Now she is somehow OK but cannot work either. She has to take long-term treatment to come back to her normal life as she still cannot move her one hand well. She needs financial support for her treatment, such as buying medication and also for survival as she cannot make her living in such a condition.

On the other hand, the family of Bakul Begum is also facing serious conditions. Her husband Alam Bachchu is in hiding because the police are trying to divert the case into different ways. Taking a huge amount of bribes, they are trying to vest the responsibility of murder on the shoulders of her husband and her other colleagues who are innocent.The police filed a case against unknown persons.

They have already arrested 3 colleagues of Mukul Begum. Because of the ill-motive of police a case was filed against the genuine killers with criminal court at district level by the eyewitness Mukul Begum. The court called for records to the police station for verification.

It has also been difficult for Bakul Begum’s family and Mukul Begum to continue the case as there is cost involved. Bangladesh Krishok Federation has taken some responsibility for medicare and cases.

Now they appeal to all who are sympathetic to them. They are asking for financial support for conducting the case and medical treatment. Therefore, Bangladesh Krishok Federation made a fervent request to all friends, sympathisers and well-wishers to support them as much as possible.

Thanking you,

Badrul Alam
President
Bangladesh Krishok Federation

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