‘UP chairman’ forces farmer out of his land

A 68-year-old farmer, Mohammad Hossain Hakim, cannot go to his own land in fear of attack by miscreants in Sarkarhat area of Lalmonirhat's Patgram upazila.

Although locals secretly favoured the farmer, they cannot cooperate with him openly in fear of attack by the gang, allegedly led by Jongra Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Ashraf Ali.

There was a longstanding conflict between farmer Hakim and chairman of the union parishad over the land.

Hakim said he recently got court order in his favour in the case. On November 19, he started building a house on the 36-decimla of land in presence of police and magistrate. Later, boundary walls were erected around the home.

On the night of November 29, a gang bulldozed the boundary walls and house and looted the furniture following the instruction of the chairman, he alleged.

The following day, he filed a written complaint with Patgram Police Station in this regard but police are yet to take any action, he added.

"Now I can't go to my own land as the men of the chairmen continued threatening me with death," said farmer.

Despite filing complaint, police are yet to take any legal action in this regard, he alleged.

"Instead, police are advising me to stay away from the land", he said, adding that he will go to the court again if he does not get any legal help from the police.

Locals said Hakim is the actual owner of the land.  The land is very valuable as it lies beside the road and in front of the union parishad. Although the union parishad claims ownership of the land, there is no document in favour of it.

Although locals have been well aware of the issue, they are not able to stand by the farmer in fear of attack by the gang, they added.

UP Chairman Ashraf Ali said farmer Hakim took possession of the land after forty years as the verdict is 'one-sided'.

He added that the union parishad actually owns the land. The land was used as playground. There are a primary school and a high school near the land. When the farmer built structures on the land, locals got angry and demolished it. 

The land will be brought back to union parishad through a legal battle, said the chairman.

Contacted, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sumon Kumar Mahanta of Patgram Police Station said farmer Hakim lodged a complaint on November 30, but he withdrew it on December 2.

Someone demolished the house and boundary walls in the dark of night, said the OC, adding that if the farmer seeks help again from police, they will give him all legal assistance. 

The farmers further said he did not withdraw his complaint.