Illegal occupiers dig up school ground
Students boycott class, besiege UP office in protest
Accomplices of a land grabber remove huge quantity of earth from the playground of Rahmatpur MM High School in Gaibandha Sadar upazila on Friday night, creating a pond in a part of the field, and right, students demonstrate on the school ground demanding quick action against the perpetrators. Photo: STAR
Land grabbers dug huge quantity of soil from the playground of Rahmatpur MM High School in Gaibandha Sadar upazila and put bamboo fence around it on Friday night. Seeing that the dug up playground had turned into a virtual water pool, the students yesterday flew into a rage. Demanding punishment to the grabbers, the aggrieved students boycotted classes, lay down on the ground and removed the bamboo fence put up by the land grabbers. The students brought out a protest procession and later besieged Ramchandrapur union parishad (UP) office demanding immediate renovation of the playground and punishment to the culprits. UP Chairman Rafiqul Islam assured them to take stern action against the culprits and persuaded them to attend classes. Locals said hired goons of influential land grabber Rowshan Alam of Raghunathpur village forcibly occupied portion of the school ground by erecting a bamboo fence and dug soil from there by night on Friday. "Most of the ground has turned into a pool. Where will we play now?" said Millat Mia, a student of class ten. Ruhul Amin, headmaster of the school, said they have filed complaints with the Gaibandha Sadar upazila nirbahi officer and the police station regarding the land grabbers' attempt to occupy the school ground by digging it. Despite repeated attempt by this correspondent, land grabber Rowshan Alam could not be contacted for his version as his cell phone was found off. His family sources said they have ownership on the school ground. Terming the claim as baseless, headmaster Ruhul Amin said, "The school has been using the playground for a long time and there is case against it."
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