Mourning grips family of Shihab Kabir Nahid (30), killed in Air Force firing in Cox's Bazar

Amena Khatun, mother of Shihab Kabir Nahid (30) who was killed in Air Force firing in Cox's Bazar, said, 'My son (Shihab) was standing at the door of the house during the stone pelting. Suddenly a bullet struck his head. The bullet blew off the top of his head and his brain came out. When he was rushed to the hospital, the on-duty doctor declared him dead.' Deceased Shihab's father Nasir Uddin is a former super of Cox's Bazar PTI. Mother Amena Khatun retired a few years ago from the post of headmistress of Cox's Bazar Government High School. They live in Samiti Para.

Locals said that for several years, plans were afoot to evict residents there to expand the Cox's Bazar base. As a result, residents spent their days in anxiety, fearing the loss of their homes. For many years, despite submitting appeals to the government, they did not get settlement of their homesteads built on khas land. Nor did they get any proposal for alternative homesteads. Finally, over the past few months, their eviction process intensified. Desperate residents demanded the reconsideration of their application, which was buried under files at the Deputy Commissioner's office.

Meanwhile, people from the Air Force had been issuing various threats to the residents of the two paras. Local resident Zahid gathered a few young men this morning and set off for the city to submit a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner. On the way, members of the Air Force intercepted several of them. They tied Zahid up at the base and brutally tortured him. They threatened that if a few Zahids like him were made to vanish, no one could do a thing. This news soon spread across Samiti Para and Kutubdia Para.

Enraged residents gathered in front of the Air Force base. They demanded the release of Zahid. Initially, there were arguments and scuffles between the two sides, which later turned into a clash. At this time, Air Force personnel opened fire on the angry crowd. As the news of Shihab's death spread, local people started coming towards the Air Force base with sticks. Videos circulating on social media showed Air Force members firing at the angry crowd.

In response to the gunfire, locals threw bricks. However, to evade responsibility for this killing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) sent a press release at noon stating that some miscreants from Samiti Para adjacent to the Cox's Bazar Air Force base carried out a sudden attack on the Air Force base. The Bangladesh Air Force has taken necessary measures in this regard. The letter was signed by ISPR Assistant Director Ayesha Siddika.

Notably, Ward 1 of Cox's Bazar Municipality comprises 19 villages and neighbourhoods, including Samiti Para and Kutubdia Para near Cox's Bazar Airport. Ninety percent of the 70,000 residents are climate refugees. Having lost their homes in the catastrophic cyclone and tidal surge of April 29, 1991, people from Kutubdia, Pekua, Maheshkhali and other areas came and took shelter on the khas land of Ward 1. For the past few years, an air base is being constructed in some areas.

For the people evicted from these places, a special Ashrayan project consisting of 137 five-story buildings is being built in Khurushkul, three kilometers away. Two years ago, 600 families found accommodation in 20 buildings. Now another 85 buildings are ready. On the morning of January 7, several thousand men and women of Ward 1 blocked the city's main road demanding an end to the eviction.

Notably, on December 27, 2010, then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stated that the government would soon start building an air base in Cox's Bazar to protect the country's maritime boundary and military installations in the city. Hasina inaugurated the air base on April 3, 2011. On December 18, 2019, it was renamed after Sheikh Hasina. Due to land acquisition for the construction of this base without a peaceful rehabilitation solution for the locals, conflict still persists between the Air Force and the locals.