Grabbing of Hindus' land alleged

Some people belonging to Hindu community have brought land grabbing allegation against a union parishad (UP) chairman in Mathbaria upazila of the district.

They came up with the allegation at a press conference at Pirojpur Press Club yesterday under the banner of Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajoat.

The accused is Md Shahjahan Hawlader, chairman of Tushkhali Union Parishad, and general secretary of the union unit of Awami League.

Amal Chandro Halder, president of Mathbaria upazila unit of the organisation, at the conference alleged that on June 9 this year, Shahjahan started to make a fish enclosure grabbing 45 kathas of land of five Hindus of Tushkhali village in the upazila.

The victims are Hasi Rani Biswas, Pankaj Kumer Bepary, Prodip Kumer Bepary, Dipak Chandro Bepary and Manoj Kumer Bepary.

On June 12, through arbitration Shahjahan promised to fill up the grabbed land and return it to the owners within ten days.

As Shahjahan did not keep his promise, one of the victims, Hasi Rani Biswas, filed a case with Mathbaria Police Station on June 30, accusing three named people including Shahjahan and 25-30 unnamed men.

Contacted, the UP chairman said the allegation of land grabbing brought against him is totally false and baseless.