Using 'Joy Bangla' slogan
Local Awami League leader Abdul Barek and his brother Abdul Kader have set up 'Joy Bangla Hotel' on a piece of land after forcibly taking it from a lessee at Jharbari in Birganj upazila of Dinajpur.Photo: STAR
A local leader of ruling Awami League (AL) has set up 'Joy Bangla Hotel' on a 0.5 decimal government khas land at Jharbari village of Birganj upazila in the district after grabbing it from Md Abdus Salam who had been using the land following a lease order 20 years ago. Villagers said Md Abdul Barek, general secretary of AL ward committee of Shatagram UP in the upazila, and his brother Md Abdul Kader accompanied by their hired goons ousted Abdus Salam from the land on April 22. Afterwards, the two brothers set a signboard reading 'Joy Bangla Hotel' having a picture of boat (electoral symbol of the AL) on it and started an eatery there. Earlier Abdus Salam ran a small restaurant there but after the April 14 nor'wester damaged it he did not get any scope to restart the business as ruling party men occupied the land. Salam told this correspondent last week that he complained to the Birganj upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) but no action was taken against the grabbers belonging to the ruling party. When contacted, Abdul Barek said he took control of the land and used political symbol of AL there as the upazila AL leaders gave him the nod. He added that he could also manage the AL high-ups. Expressing shock over using party symbol to grab land, Md Aminul Islam, a former AL leader of Birganj upazila, suggested that the AL leaders take organisational action against such people. Asked about the matter, an official at the police station concerned said they urged the local AL leaders to take action against their party men for the unwanted act but to no effect. Lawmaker from the constituency, AL leader Monoranjan Shill Gopal could not be contacted despite repeated attempts as his cell phone was found off.
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