Laments pierce the silence at Bahalnagar as blank faces wait for five coffins to arrive at Kolkata Airport

Kolkata: Wails of grief-stricken people rented the air in Bahalnagar, an obscure village situated a few meters away from National Highway 34 in Sagardighi on Wednesday, as the villagers started congregating outside the houses of the five migrant labourers who were killed in a terror attack at Kulgam district of South Kashmir on Tuesday.

A pall of gloom descended among those who have lost their dear ones in a dastardly attack in Kashmir. The state government and the district administration have already taken up an elaborate arrangement to ensure that the bodies of the labourers wrapped in coffins can be given a safe passage to their native place from Kolkata Airport.

All five bodies are expected to arrive at the airport late on Wednesday night. The district administrative officials have been asked to ensure that the family members are properly taken care of.

The senior police officers from the districts visited the place on Wednesday. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked ADG South Bengal Sanjay Singh to look into the details of how the whole incident occurred and take necessary steps in this regard.

Prodded by the Chief Minister, her party MPs and MLAs from the district visited the family members of the deceased on Wednesday and assured all assistance. State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Firhad Hakim may also take part in the last rites of the victims, following the instruction of the Chief Minister.

Hakim may also accompany the victims' family members in carrying the coffins of the deceased to their native place from the airport.

The deceased have been identified as Kamruddin Sheikh, Murshinam Sheikh, Rofik Ahmed Sheikh, Naimuddin Sheikh and Rofikul Alam. Zahiruddin Sheikh, who sustained serious bullet injuries, has been fighting for his life at Anantnag District Hospital. All the migrant labourers had gone to Kashmir on October 3.

Parveen, daughter of Rofik Ahmed Sheikh, is yet to recover from the shock and was found sobbing throughout the day. "My father was about to start for home along with others. He was almost done packing his baggage. He had visited Kashmir several times in the past ten years. This time his body will come wrapped inside a coffin," Parveen lamented.

A large number of people lined up on both sides of the road that goes to her house on late Wednesday night, to have a glimpse of the slain labourer. It was a similar picture outside the houses of the other victims as well.

Baker Ali, an elder brother of Kamruddin Sheikh, said that the victim had gone to work at apple orchard to earn some more money, but an act of terrorism has cut his life short. Many of the villagers from Bahalnagar had earlier visited Kashmir for better income opportunities.

Congress MP from Murshidabad Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also visited the spot on Wednesday and said that the Centre has been trying to present before the world that Kashmir is in a peaceful condition, "but the terrorist incidents remain unabated and innocent people are brutally killed by terrorists." He also assured the family members of the victims of all possible assistance.