Agri officers' quarters occupied in Gaibandha

Two ruling party front organisations along with a section of local influential people illegally occupied block supervisor (BS) quarters of agriculture department in Sadullapur upazila.

The agriculture block supervisor (BS) now re-designated as sub-assistant agriculture officer's quarters (resident-cum-store) was built for the preservation of agriculture equipment, seeds and fertiliser for rendering services to farmers' doorstep.

But the quarters remained unused for long and subsequently turned ramshackle due to lack of proper repairing and renovation.

During a recent visit to the quarters, it was found that the entire building was under illegal occupation.

Meanwhile, two rooms of the quarters have been occupied allegedly by ruling Awami League's student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and labour front Sramik League. They put up signboards and are conducting organisational activities there. They even rented other rooms for business purposes.

Two rooms were occupied allegedly by one local influential trader Asadur Rahman, who set up a power generating unit and a firewood shop. A few days ago, another local influential tried to grab the whole area by erecting surrounding walls, but the attempt was foiled duly intervention of  the local people.

Admitting placing of signboard in the building, Abu Taher, convener of Bhatgram union unit of BCL, said they did not occupy the building just put up a signboard there.

Asadur said as the building remains abandoned, he had started business and he would leave the place if the authority asks him to quit.

Adequate measures would be taken immediately to evict illegal occupants from the quarters, said Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ahsan Habib.