AL men muscle in on paddy fields of landless people
Criminals set a red flag, marking their occupation of a nearly ripe paddy field at Samudabad in Rangabali upazila under Patuakhali district. Landless farmers had cultivated the crop on the khasland after getting its allocation from the district administration.Photo: STAR
Landless farmers who cultivated aman paddy on khas lands allocated by the district administration are now passing worrying time as criminals allegedly led by the ruling party men have engaged in looting the ripe crop from the fields. Landless people in recent years got allocation of about 3,000 acres of khas land in Galachipa upazila, 474 acres each in Dashmina and Kalapara upazilas, 231 acres in Baufal upazila, 120 acres in Dumki upazila, 116 acres in Sadar upazila and 18 acres in Mirzaganj upazila under the district. The beneficiaries, mostly in char (coastal island) areas, are expecting bumper production of paddy this season but groups of people led by local ruling party men have set up red flags in many places as part of their plan to loot paddy from such lands, said the affected farmers. The group set up red flag on 4.70 acres of lands of Jahangir Akon, a farmer at Char Kashem in newly formed Rangabali upazila in the middle of November. However, Jahangir reaped paddy from his land on November 23. As he was bringing the paddy to Galachipa from Char Kashem by a trawler, on the way men allegedly set by Rangbali union parishad (UP) Chairman Nazrul Islam Pada, also an activist of local AL, and a Jubo League leader of Rangabali upazila, looted paddy from the trawler. Jahangir Akon informed local tahshilder (land official) of the matter. After examining land documents of Jahangir in presence of UP Chairman Nazrul Islam Pada, the tahshilder gave decision that Jahangir Akon is the genuine owner of the land and the looted paddy should be returned to him. But instead of returning the paddy amounting 90 maunds, the looters sold it in the market at Tk 550 per maund, Jahangir Akon said. One Eusuf Bapari said he bought 27 maunds out of the 90 maunds of paddy from Nazrul Islam Pada. Eusuf Ali, a member of the local village police, also confirmed the matter of selling the paddy. Asked about the matter, Nazrul Islam said, "My men did not take paddy from Jahangir Akon. He has valid documents of the khas land and so, the paddy should be returned to him." Criminals also looted 28 maunds of paddy of Sohel Gazi, 25 maunds of Makbul Maulana, 22 maunds of Ashraf, 21 maunds of Ziaul Haque, 20 maunds of Zakir Howlader, 15 maunds of Abu Mollah, 12 maunds of Kalam Howlader, 13 maunds of Abdus Salam, and eight maunds of paddy of Mainuddin Howlader in Jugir Howlad and Char Tofazzel areas of the same upazila, said the affected people. Mahe Alam, officer in charge of Rangabali police station, said, "Lands related matters should be decided by the land office. Nobody has filed any case in this regard. However, we are ready to take action if any violence occurs regarding cutting of paddy." "If there is any complexity over a land only the land office has the right to set up a red flag. We will take step over the red flag issue after investigation," said Pankoj Ghosh, assistant commissioner (Land) of Galachipa upazila. Dashmina police arrested three people of Hazikanda village under the upazila in a case for quarrel over khas land a few days ago, said the on duty officer of the police station. Several farmers at Chargarabdi under Dumki upazila who cultivated aman paddy on 16 acres of allocated khas land are guarding their nearly ripe paddy overnight in fear of looting. On behalf of the farmers, Motahar Khan submitted a written complaint to the deputy commissioner (DC) on November 30, stating that a gang led by Rashis Khan and Jalal Khan of Bamnekathe village in bordering Baufal upazila area are planning to loot their paddy as the group did the same in previous years. The DC asked the UNO and the OC of Dumki upazila to take proper steps in this regard. Abu Bakar Siddique, additional superintendent of police in Patuakhali, said, "We have already set up five temporary police camps in different char areas in the district to protect farmers' paddy from culprits." Nine executive magistrates deployed in seven upazilas will work with local police camps till January 31 next year, said Additional District Magistrate Md Salim Fakir.
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