A local Awami League leader’s residence in Mirzaganj Upazila of Patuakhali district was demolished with a bulldozer, looted, and then set on fire.

The attack took place in the North Bus Stand area adjacent to Kathaltali Bazar. The incident spanned from Friday midnight until early Saturday morning.

The victim, Kazi Mizanur Rahman Lovelu, is the president of Madhabkhali Union Awami League and the former Union Parishad Chairman. Since the change of government on August 5, 2024, Lovelu has been in hiding. Currently, the Upazila Social Services Officer is overseeing the local Union Parishad duties.

The affected family members have raised direct allegations against Shaheen Chowdhury, the younger brother of Patuakhali-1 constituency Member of Parliament Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, alongside local BNP activists.

Meherunnesa Shilpi, the wife of the Awami League leader, stated that the family was temporarily residing in Dhaka due to the illness of her elderly mother-in-law.

Taking advantage of their absence, a mob of nearly 250 individuals launched the assault. The attack was reportedly led by Madhabkhali Union BNP President Shaheen Chowdhury, General Secretary Mehedi Hasan alias Palash Howlader, and former President Monir Khondoker.

The attackers used a bulldozer to bring down the brick-built structure. They systematically looted high-value household items, including four refrigerators, a washing machine, an oven, air conditioners, and gold jewelry. The family estimates the loss of looted goods at 30 to 35 lakh BDT.

Following the plundering, the attackers set the six-room property, valued at approximately one crore BDT, on fire and leveled it completely.

According to Meherunnesa, who rushed back from Dhaka upon receiving the news, local witnesses informed her that the attackers forced nearby businessmen and residents to flee the area before launching the assault. Anyone who attempted to record the violence on their mobile phones had their devices confiscated by the mob.

Furthermore, she noted that the Kathaltali Police Outpost is located barely 30 feet from their residence. Although police personnel approached the scene after hearing the bulldozer, they were chased away by the perpetrators and forced to retreat for safety.

The family has verbally reported the incident to both the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and the In-charge of the Kathaltali Police Outpost.

Speaking over the phone, Mizanur Rahman asserted that he built the house on legally purchased land. He expressed bewilderment over the attack, claiming he had no personal disputes with those involved in the destruction.

When contacted, Madhabkhali Union BNP President Shaheen Chowdhury denied any personal involvement in the incident. He claimed he had just returned from Dhaka on Friday and was completely unaware of the attack.

Attempts to reach the accused Union BNP General Secretary Mehedi Hasan for comment were unsuccessful as his statement could not be obtained.

However, former Madhabkhali Union BNP President Monir Khondoker did not outright deny the demolition. Instead, he justified the action by claiming that Mizanur Rahman had illegally occupied land belonging to the Public Library, an allegation supposedly verified by the local land office.

When questioned as to why the political activists took matters into their own hands rather than letting the administration handle the eviction, Monir Khondoker countered that the BNP chose not to involve the administration. He added that their political rivals had previously attacked MP Altaf Hossain Chowdhury’s residence three times, and that they had protected this property until now instead of demolishing it immediately after August 5.

Public authorities and emergency services arrived at the scene later to control the damage and initiate standard protocols.

Mirzaganj Fire Service Acting Station Officer Md. Ibrahim confirmed that their team responded to a call at 6:08 AM on Saturday. They discovered the front section of the house demolished and four rooms completely engulfed in flames before successfully bringing the fire under control.

Mirzaganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Towhiduzzaman stated that unidentified miscreants used a heavy excavation machine to wreck the building and set it ablaze. He added that no casualties occurred as the house was empty at the time.

The police chief noted that no formal written complaint has been lodged by the victims yet, though an official investigation is actively underway.

Mirzaganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sheikh Md. Russell, who visited the site at dawn to interview the family, observed that local residents remained tight-lipped out of fear. He subsequently directed the Kathaltali Police Outpost to rigorously investigate the matter and take necessary legal actions.