Lawmaker out to evict Hindu families

A ruling party lawmaker, who was accused of occupying the land of a martyred intellectual’s family in Barishal around three weeks ago, is now allegedly trying to evict around a dozen minority families from their ancestral land.

On January 2, Barishal-2 constituency Awami League MP Md Shah E Alam allegedly occupied around five decimals of land belonging to the family members of martyred intellectual Jyortimoy Guha Thakurata in the name of expanding a school premises in Banaripara Upazila Bus Station area.

On January 25, a group of minority people told a press conference in Barishal Press Club that Alam was trying to evict them from their ancestral land to implement an agricultural project in Tetla village of the same upazila.

At least 12 Hindu families of Tetla village are now fearing eviction by the lawmaker. Some of them fled their homes as Alam kept intimidating them, the victims alleged.

“On Monday night, some followers of the lawmaker stormed my house, kept me and my family members confined and put pressure on me to go to the land registry office the next morning to register my land in the lawmaker’s name,” alleged Ratan.

“At one stage, I sought help from a relative over the phone and he called 999 helpline service. Hours later, police went to the spot and rescued us,” said Ratan.

“Later, we fled from our home and went to Barishal town. Now, we fear for our lives,” said Ratan.

Ratan’s nephew Sumon Roy told the press conference, “Lawmaker Shah E Alam has been trying to occupy my land and house for around six months. I have heard that he will implement an agricultural project here.”

Both Ratan and Sumon claimed that at least 12 of their neighbouring Hindu families are facing almost a similar situation.

The lawmaker refuted the allegations and said it was a conspiracy against him.

“My rival groups are hatching this conspiracy for political gains,” he told The Daily Star over the phone.

Contacted, Banaripara Police Station Officer-in-Charge Helal Uddin said, “A police officer went to the spot on that night after receiving a complaint on 999. But the police officer returned as the allegations were not found true.”

The OC also claimed no-one was detained from there that night.

Anup Kumar Guha, nephew of martyr Jyortimoy Guha Thakurata, said they have around five decimals of land adjacent to Banaripara Girls’ School. The land was fenced with corrugated-iron sheets. Suddenly around 4:30pm on January 2, Shah E Alam along with some of his followers broke the fence and occupied the land.

“On information, I rushed to the spot. The MP intimidated me in multiple ways saying that we don’t have any land there,” alleged Anup.

Although Alam refuted the allegation, Banaripara Girls School Headmaster Abu Bakar Siddique admitted that they fenced up the land of Jyortimoy Guha Thakurata so that they could not sell the land to anyone else.

Two days after the incident, Anup filed a complaint with the local Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Barishal’s deputy commissioner.

UNO Ripon Kumer Saha said, “We have received the complaint, which was later forwarded to the local land office for investigation.”

A group of representatives of the central Hindu Buddha Christian Oikya Parishad, led by its Organising Secretary Suranjit Dutta Litu, visited Tetla village and talked to locals on Saturday.

During the visit, the victims told him that they were in panic, he told The Daily Star.

He said Ibrahim, a local member, admitted that he and several others went to Ratan’s house on the night of January 2.

Ibrahim declined to comment on why they had gone there.