Landless people want right over khas lands

The demonstrators also submitted a memorandum containing various demands to Rajbari DC (deputy commissioner) on the day.

A similar demonstration was held at Goalando last week which ended through submission of a memorandum to the UNO (upazila nirbahi officer).

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During the period from 1986 to 2001, the government allocated about 41.41 acres of shoal lands of the Padma to 53 landless families at Charkashimpur, three-kilometre off Doulatdia ghat (terminal) in phases.

Samata, an NGO working for the landless, has been rendering all-out support to the landless in their struggle for a right cause.

However, landless people could not take possession of the lands from the clutch of influential persons and land grabbers till date due to 'indifferent attitude' of the administration.

During the ongoing rabi (winter crop) season, landless people cultivated 'Maskalai,' a winter crop, on 92 acres of land without any resistance from administration or land grabbers.

But they are now passing their days with a sense of insecurity apprehending police arrest anytime. They also expect land grabbers' wrath.

They placed the demands to the establishment with a view to averting untoward incident during harvesting season of 'Mashkalai' in the middle of January next year. Their demands include their safety and security of life, especially during crop reaping period.

Earlier, armed miscreants hired by land grabbers attacked them. A good number of landless people and workers of Samata sustained severe injuries during the attack.

Despite all odds, landless people expressed their determination to establish their just rights.

A blind landless person named Ahmed Ali told The Daily Star, "None can stop us, if needed we are ready to sacrifice our lives to establish our rights on 'khas' lands."

Freedom fighter Nurunnahar informed that her one acre of land which she got from the government in 2001 is still in grip of land grabbers. But she said she won't give it up to them.

Local BNP leaders opposed the government decision to distribute 'khas' lands among themselves because they considered themselves as Awami League (AL) activists only due to their 'freedom fighter' identity, alleged many landless people.

Hamid Mridha, a BNP leader in Daolatdia union, always backed local land grabbers in a motive to distribute the lands among party activists, disclosed another landless person, Belayat Hossain.

Government is well aware about the actual situation, but the ruling party activists foiled their initiatives in the past, Abul Hossain, another landless person revealed.

Local administration should come forward to resolve the issue, otherwise it will be very difficult to recover 'khas' lands from the clutch of land grabbers, according to Jahid, programme coordinator of Samata.

'At present about 1,400 acres of 'khas' lands are lying unutilised at Charkarnesan and Charkashimpur. Samata has been striving to recover the lands under its land rights programme,' he added.

Earlier, the landless people went to Charkashimpur in the upazila to recover government 'khas' lands on October 9.

The lands were under illegal occupation of local influential people and land grabbers for years together.