Satkania Stampede: Victim's husband files case, vanishes

Four people were arrested yesterday after a case was filed for neglect that led to deaths of nine women in a stampede during disbursing zakat and iftar items at Satkania on Monday.

However, Md Shahjahan, managing director of Kabir Steel Re-rolling Mills (KSRM), the only named accused in the case, could not be arrested, said Officer-in-Charge Rafiqul Alam of Satkania police.

He added, “Four teams of law enforcers are conducting drives in the port city, Satkania and Sitakunda upazilas to arrest Md Shahjahan and others.”

Mohammed Ismail, husband of one of the victims Hasina Khatun, filed the case in the morning accusing Shahjahan and five to six other unnamed people, said Additional Superintendent of Police Hasanuzzaman Molla of Satkania Circle.

“We took cognisance of the case and started an investigation. As a result, we arrested Muridul Alam alias Murad, 27, Md Idrish, 26, Azgar Ali, 28, and Habib Ahmed Shahed, 32 in the areas adjacent to the house of the MD of KSRM,” added the police official.

“We have found during primary investigation that the four were on duty at the place of occurrence on behalf of KSRM where nine women were killed in a stampede,” OC Rafiq informed.

Plaintiff of the case Mohammed Ismail has meanwhile reportedly remained unaccounted for since yesterday afternoon.

Habibur Rahman, member of Ward 7 of Khagoriya Union Parishad and a neighbour of Ismail, said, “We found his house under lock and key and checked out his whereabouts in vain.

“His phone was also found switched off,” the UP member added.

On the other side, the injured women who have been undergoing treatment at Satkania Upazila Health Complex alleged that they were not getting adequate health services.

Hosne Ara, 35, Nur Aysa, 50, Rabeya Khatun, 55, and Rokeya Begum, 40, expressed their helplessness when this correspondent visited them yesterday afternoon.

Rabeya told The Daily Star that on that fateful day they received some medicines from a pharmacy, claiming that the KSRM officials directed the pharmacy owner to supply medicines as per their needs.

“But from the morning today [Tuesday] the pharmacy owner stopped supplying the medicines. The cellphone number of a KSRM official is also found switched off,” Rabeya alleged.

Sajib Talukder, owner of the pharmacy Bangladesh Medical Hall just opposite the health complex, said he knew the man who had asked him to supply medicines by face.

“I have found his number switched off since morning. So, I have stopped the medicine supply,” he added.

Another injured, Hosne Ara, told The Daily Star that no one from KSRM has visited them since the incident.

However, the elder brother of Rina Akhter, who was killed in the stampede, said they had received Tk 10,000 for her burial. He added they did not get Tk 3 lakh, which was promised by the KSRM authorities for the victims' families.

During a visit to the spot, locals were found tightlipped about the incident.

Alamgir Mohammed Abu Sufiyan, one of the volunteers of KSRM, however, said the incident had occurred as several thousand people rushed to get the essentials.

In addition to nine deaths, around 25 women were injured in the stampede when more than 30,000 people gathered to collect zakat and essentials provided by KSRM at Anis Bari Jame Mosque ground at Ghatiadanga village.

(Arun Bikash Dey, Mostafa Yousuf and FM Mizanur Rahman contributed to the story)