national industry association).Hundreds of men have fled their homes fearing arrest as central agencies intensify investigations into judicial officials on April 1, leaving villages nearly deserted days before the region votes in the first round of Bengal’s two-phase polls on April 23.Two weeks after a midnight standoff in an otherwise unremarkable district of Malda grabbed national attention, Mosabali presents a very different picture. Doors were closed all day, courtyards were deserted, and in many homes only women, children and the elderly were waiting – not for relief, but for missing men.“There are six members of our family. All our names were tried, so my husband applied to have our voting rights restored. He was never involved in any violence. Despite this, the police issued a notice to him,” said Jalili Bibi of Sadipur. “Now, four of our names have been cleared, but he is too scared to come back or even vote.” There is a similar story in the village of Jotgopal Kagmari. Runa Laila’s husband Md Asmaul Basar (39) runs an e-rickshaw battery shop and is currently on the run. “He did not participate in any protests. He went to deliver orders. Someone framed him and now the police are looking for him,” she said. “Voting is no longer our priority. I just want him to be safe.”
Arrest sparks fear
Across Bangladesh, around 6.06 million names were sent for adjudication, of which 2.7 million names were deleted. In Mosabari alone, 79,683 names were listed for judicial review, of which 37,255 were eventually removed.On April 1, seven judicial officials responsible for the SIR trial were besieged by an angry mob. The officials, including the woman judge, had to be held captive inside the block development office for more than nine hours before they were finally rescued. The incident quickly escalated, prompting the Supreme Court to hand over the investigation to the NIA on April 6. Since then, its impact has been rapid and widespread.At least 52 people have been arrested so far. The NIA has registered 12 cases and the arrests cut across party lines. A worker of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) was the first to be picked up by the central agency. Subsequently, the National Criminal Investigation Directorate arrested Mothabari ISF candidate Maulana Shahjahan Ali Qadri and AIMIM leader Mofakkerul Islam. Recently, two congress Official – Close aide of Congress candidate Sayyam Chowdhury —Arrested by the National Intelligence Service.Chaudhry himself was detained for questioning in Ali Nagar and released after an overnight interrogation. His phone was seized for forensic analysis. In a video message after his release, he claimed a political vendetta and denied any involvement in the violence.But beyond the political bickering, the reality for Mossabari is much calmer. This fear is universal—and palpable. While the ruling reinstated some names, the aftermath of the April 1 violence created a new obstacle that no revision process could resolve: voters who were present on paper but absent in person.
political blame game
Families in local villages said the men had left in batches since the National Intelligence Agency stepped up investigations. Some have moved into other areas, while others are believed to be hiding in neighboring states. Many people have stopped answering the phone.“We tell them not to stay here,” said a middle-aged woman in Singapore who requested anonymity. “Even if they are innocent, who will listen? If they are caught, who will take care of us? His name is back on the voters’ list, but he will not come back to vote,” she said of her husband, who fled the area.Reports from the ground indicate that a large number of adult men are currently missing in several areas. While there are no official statistics, the empty village squares, shuttered shops and eerie silence in the early evening bear witness to the situation.Political reactions only exacerbate divisions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident pointed to the “Maha Jungle Raj”, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused the opposition parties of fomenting the riots. The BJP says it has moved beyond the SIR controversy and is focusing on development. “People here need better roads, clean water, dedicated women’s wards in government hospitals, better schools and hostels,” said Nibaran Ghosh, the BJP candidate. “Incumbent members have done little but amass personal wealth.”Sabina Yasmin, who had won the parliamentary seat in 2011 and 2016 and won the seat on behalf of TMC in 2021, was replaced this time by her new party, which tasked Md Najrul Islam to retain the seat. Islam accused the BJP of removing the names of valid voters and accused the Congress and international security forces of fueling villagers’ fears. “Congress is trying to help the BJP by creating conflicts among voters who are still eligible,” he said.Congress candidate Chaudhry, however, claimed there was a wider conspiracy. “TMC, BJP and NIA have joined forces to take action against us. People can see what is happening,” he said. Caught in the crossfire are residents whose initial grievances — fear of losing their right to vote — now feel swept under the rug. “We protested because our names were removed,” said a young voter whose older brother has fled. “Now, even if the names are there, the people are not.“Dusk falls and the silence deepens. In some families, women sit by their mobile phones waiting for calls from their husbands and sons. For a village that rose up in protest to regain its electoral roll, the upcoming election may go by with many voters missing—this time not by being erased from the system, but by the consequences of challenging it.
