Stop setting up SEZ in Habiganj arable lands

Speakers at a views-exchange meeting yesterday heavily criticised Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza), suggesting using non-agricultural land to set up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) instead of arable ones Habiganj tea workers have been using for over 100 years.

"Bangladesh has become a land grabbers' state where rich people's lands are not acquired," said lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha, asking Beza to acquire 23,000 acres of khas land adjacent to Chandpur and Begum Khan tea estates in Chunarughat upazila which were occupied by "influential people".

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The meeting on these issues was organised by Chandpur-Begum Khan Bhumi Rokkha Committee in the capital's Jatiya Press Club.

Badsha, also convener of the Parliamentary Caucus on Indigenous Peoples, said 10 lawmakers would visit the tea gardens next week.

"If we find Beza aiming to set up the SEZ on arable land and giving false advertisements on newspaper, we will make them stand before courts," he said.

Beza is trying to lead the government down a path of destruction just like "agents of war criminals", he claimed.

The land Beza plans to acquire was initially leased out to tea estates, which in turn allowed workers to grow rice there since their pay was substantially low. 

The rokkha committee's Joint Convener, Swapan Santal, said Chunarughat Upazila Parishad Chairman Abu Taher published an advertisement on a local newspaper on October 10, 2014 saying the SEZ would be set up on 511.83 acres of land of Chandpur Tea Estate.

The rokkha committee's appeal against this on December 12, 2014 was rejected by the Habiganj deputy commissioner and since then the local administration has been trying to evict the indigenous people, he added.

Prof Mesbah Kamal, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Odhikar Andolon, said tea workers would die if the land was taken away as their pay was only Tk 69 per day, which was inadequate for subsistence.

On the local administration claiming that the SEZ will create job opportunities, Prof Mesbah pointed out that it was not yet known what types of industries would be set up and whether those would need indigenous people.

"Such bait was given while a gas field in Rashidpur was being set up, but no employment opportunity had been created for the locals," he added.

Oikya Nap President Pankaj Bhattacharya, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal General Secretary Comrade Khalequzzaman, Bangladesh Adivasi Forum General Secretary Sanjeeb Drong, the rokkha committee Convener Avirat Bakti and Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal General Secretary Dilip Barua also participated in the discussion.