The situation in Dhuliyan town, located in the Jangipur subdivision of Murshidabad district, West Bengal, has returned to normal following the violent protests that erupted on April 11 against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, officials confirmed.
To restore peace and maintain law and order, security personnel from the BSF and CRPF have been deployed in the area. Authorities have stated that normalcy has been restored, and the situation is now under control.
Residents and shopkeepers have begun recounting the damage and chaos caused during the unrest. Several shops and properties were reportedly vandalized and looted.
One local shopkeeper, speaking to Media, described the extent of his loss:
“My entire building has been destroyed. All the glass has shattered. The rear side of the building was weak — it had wooden windows and doors. They broke through that and entered inside. They caused complete destruction and even looted some of our belongings. Opposite my building, I have a shop. They broke the shutter of that shop too. Monday was a bank holiday, so I received all the payments on Tuesday. I had around Rs13.5 lakh in cash with me. The cash was meant to be deposited at the bank, but it was all stolen. Apart from that, my shop had furniture and equipment worth Rs7-8 lakh, including chairs, tables, CPUs, computers, and laptops. Altogether, I had nearly Rs20-25 lakh in losses.”
Another shopkeeper, Adhir Ravi Das, also shared the damage he suffered:
“My shop has been completely damaged. Nothing is left. If the administration helps, we will be able to open the shop, or else nothing can be done. Materials worth Rs 6-7 lakhs were in the shop; everything has been burnt. We want peace. Since BSF is here, the situation is normal. We don’t know what will happen if BSF is removed from here. We want a BSF camp here.”
Local shopkeeper Habib-ur-Rehman stated that the situation has now calmed:
“The situation in Samserganj is normal now. The administration is asking us to open our shops and stay disciplined. The situation has changed after BSF and CRPF have been deployed.”
Security forces are still patrolling sensitive zones to prevent further unrest. The local administration has appealed to the public to remain calm, cooperate, and resume normal life.