Land grab by politicians alleged

Source: Gulf Times

Minority Hindus of Mothbaria sub-district in Bangladesh’s Pirojpur district have alleged that ruling Awami League activists backed by the party’s lawmaker were trying to grab nearly 200 acres of their land.
“They’re grabbing the land of anyone who is leaving for India,” Shamol Chandra Haldar of Dakkhin Sonakhali village told media yesterday.
He also alleged that two families had already left Bangladesh and many more were making preparations.
Shankar Mitra, speaking on behalf of 100 Hindu families living in the sub-district, alleged that Mujibur Rahman Sayed, who is father of former central Chhatra League (Awami League’s student wing) leader Ashrafur Rahman, along with his associates had been trying to grab land owned by the religious minorities.
Mitra claimed that this group of people had set fire to their shops and harassed women, bdnews24.com newspaper web site reported.
He alleged that Sayed attacked his home on April 1 in order to grab his land and injured his brother Subhash.
Haldar alleged that the reason behind the violence was to grab nearly 199.9 acres of land owned by the families.

Stop land grabbing by false documents

Source: The Daily Star News

Indigenous people urge govt for urgent steps

Indigenous people of Gomostapur upazila under Chapainawabganj district have made allegations of harassment and repression on them by the land grabbers.

Leaders of indigenous people of Dighori, Pargana, Baisi Parishad, Lahanti Akhra Forum, Adivasi Samonnya Parishad and Jatiyo Adivasi Parishad made the accusations at a press conference at Chapainawabganj Press Club on Saturday.

They alleged the land grabbers have been harassing them by filing false cases. Not only that, when anybody comes forward to help the victims, the land grabbers threat him of dire consequences, they added.

Indigenous leaders of Chapainawabganj Corneleus Murmu, Motilal Toppo, Jaoharlal Ekka, Bichitra Tirpi and Shirish Khalko were present.

Giving an example of harassment, the indigenous leaders said one Sirajul Islam of Lebudanga village under Radhanagar Union in Gomostapur upazila came under bomb attack at the same village by some unidentified criminals on the night of April 29. Sirajul's father- in-law Golam Rabbani filed a case with Gomostapur Police Station the following day against two innocent indigenous people.

Without finding the real culprits, police had sent the two indigenous people to jail custody, they alleged.

They told the press conference that Sirajul grabbed 2.14 acres of land of Sunil Keoar of Telipukur village by making a false document. He and his men threatened indigenous leaders Jaoharlal Ekka and Motilal Toppo with death on May 10 as they went to Chapainawabganj jail to meet one of the two accused.

This correspondent could not contact Sirajul Islam despite several attempts over mobile phone.

Our Mymensingh correspondent adds: The indigenous leaders of Mymensingh region have demanded that the government form separate land commission to solve their land problems.

The raised the demand at a workshop on 'Problems over land of indigenous people of Mymensingh region and its remedy' at the auditorium of Zila Shilpakala Academy yesterday noon.

Influential people have already grabbed the land of many adivasi families by making false documents and they are still active, the indigenous leaders alleged.

They urged the government to immediately form a land commission to settle their land disputes.

Over 100 indigenous leaders from Mymensingh, Tangail, Sherpur and Netrokona joined the workshop jointly arranged by Joyenshahi Adivasi Samaj Kalyan Sangstha, Achik Michik Society, Hajang Mata Rashimoni Kalyan Parishad, Dhalu Adivasi Unnayan Sangstha, Indigenous People Development Services, Society for Biodiversity Conservation and CARITAS.