Scarred Sitalkuchi recalls bullets of 2021, five years gone; bereaved kin still await justice
Telegraph | 17 April 2026
Five youths died in two separate incidents under the Sitalkuchi Assembly constituency, Cooch Behar, during the 2021 Assembly elections. As Bengal prepares to vote again, the bereaved families still battle raw grief and await justice.
In Jorpatki village, four young men — Moniruzzaman, Hamidul Mia, Chamiul Haque and Nur Alam Mia — were killed in firing by the CISF personnel at a polling booth in the Amtali Madhyamik Siksha Kendra (MSK) on April 10, 2021.
The central forces had opened fire to control alleged violence in the booth. However, residents alleged that the forces opened fire indiscriminately.
The incident triggered widespread political controversy at the time, with the ruling Trinamool and the BJP trading accusations.
Five years later, the families continue to grapple with loss and uncertainty.
Moniruzzaman’s younger brother, Pinku Rahman, says the family has never recovered.
“My brother, a migrant worker, had come home just to vote. He was killed in the queue of voters. He left behind a newborn daughter,” he recalls.
Although the state provided a home guard job to the victim’s widow, she later moved away with her child and cut off contact with her in-laws.
“Tell me, are we really doing well?” Pinku asks.
Other affected families share similar stories. While some members received government jobs, economic hardship and emotional trauma persist. Most members of these four bereaved families avoided speaking about the incident.
A memorial now stands at the Amtali MSK ground, where locals gather every year on April 10 to observe the day in memory of those killed.
Members of the Shaheed Smriti Raksha Committee say justice remains elusive.
“The case against the CISF personnel is still pending. Families have not received adequate compensation. A job alone cannot sustain a family,” says a committee member.
As polling day approaches once again, the villagers will vote on April 23. The families say voting has become a painful reminder rather than a democratic celebration.
“April is a month of fear for us,” said Pinku. “Five years ago, we lost my brother. Now elections are again in April. Memories keep coming back. But we will vote because there is fear that if we don't, our names might get deleted.”
In another Sitalkuchi tragedy on April 10, 2021, 19-year-old Ananda Barman, who had returned home from Hyderabad where he worked as a mason just to cast his first vote, was killed by a stray bullet during clashes between Trinamool and BJP workers.
The resident of Pathantuli-Kashia-Barani village in Sitalkuchi, Ananda died on the spot.
Five years on, his family continues to struggle with the loss.
His mother Basanti, sitting at their current residence in Bamonpara-Ranidighi village, said she would vote this year with a purpose. “I will go to vote. I want justice for my son. I want his killers punished,” she says, her voice breaking.
After Ananda’s death, the family relocated from their ancestral home and now lives with Basanti’s father. Basanti’s husband had left them earlier after a remarriage.
Ananda's elder brother Gobinda, once an active BJP worker, has since withdrawn completely from politics.
“I don’t do politics anymore. I will vote, but I carry my brother’s memory every day,” Gobinda, who works as a special home guard, a job provided by the state government after the incident.
Despite the job, he said Ananda's loss could not be compensated. "Joy has left our lives," he said, referring to the meaning of Ananda.
Across Sitalkuchi, the polling atmosphere is subdued now. Once marked by intense political rivalry, the area has grown quieter since the 2021 deaths, residents said.
“The place has changed,” says a resident. “There is less noise, less visible political activity, fewer declarations of rivalry. But the memories remain.”