Lakhai Datta villagers living in constant fear

Nineteen rights based organisations, ethnic minority leaders and environmentalists' yesterday demanded proper investigation and punishment for those who allegedly tortured ethnic minority people and destroyed greeneries for their personal benefit in Lakhai Datta village of Srimangal upazila in Moulvibazar.

While visiting the village, the speakers said that the attacks were intentional and a ploy to evict the people of the land.

The locals alleged that they were under severe threats as Syed Tea and Land Company Ltd has been trying to expand its Julekha Nagar Tea Estate by forcibly evicting hundreds of families.

“We live in a constant fear. They harass us whenever they feel like. If we protest they file case against us. They have filed two cases against me already,” said Bikrom Tanti, a resident. The octogenarian broke down in tears while talking to this correspondent.

Atit Kanda, 54, said the attack on his plantation in 2015 had left him penniless.

“For four generations, we have lived on this land,” he said, adding, “The armed mob has destroyed about 4,000 to 5,000 of my pineapple trees worth Tk 90,000. I will not be able to overcome this loss. Without assistance we will die starving and this is what the tea estate people want.”

Bikram Tanti, a father of five, alleged that he had refused to sell his land, “so they destroyed my lemon and pineapple trees”.

Father Kiron Rozario, who has been helping the people of the area since 1997, alleged that the tea company has the support of influential people.

Around 160,000 lemon trees, 800,000 pineapple, 3,700 banana, 1,200 guava, 750 jackfruit, 1,200 betel leaf, 37,000 Naga chili, 800 betel nut, 2,000 trees, 8,000 bamboo and 400 local fruit trees were destroyed in the last one year, he alleged.

"The government has failed to provide basic human rights to the ethnic minority people," said Kishori Pada Deb Shyamal, president of Bangladesh Human Rights Commission, Moulvibazar unit.

“Their rights are being violated because some influential people do not consider them as an integral part of the society,” said Bably Talang, general secretary of KUBORAZ, a rights organisation.

Sitaram Hajra, local union parishad member, sought the government's intervention to mitigate the crisis.

Pankaj Kanda, central member of Bangladesh Adibashi Forum and Shalauddin Ahmed, president of Pahar Rokha O Unnayan Society, also spoke.

Denying all allegations, Syeda Gulshanara, owner of Julekha Nagar Tea Estate, told this correspondent that they had leased the land from the government in the 70s and the land where the village is situated was also a part of the leased property. “Our men did not destroy their homes, crops or trees,” she claimed.

Contacted, Pranesh Goala, UP chairman of Kalirghat Union, said, “I have spoken with the law enforcement personnel regarding the safety of the villagers, hopefully they will look into it.”

Mahbubur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Srimangal Police Station, said, “There has been an ongoing dispute over the land. Both parties have filed cases regarding the issue. The court will decide on it.”