Plan to acquire homesteads triggers protest

One of the many homesteads facing eviction at Laxmidari village because of Bhomra land port development plan. PHOTO: STAR

They said authorities had earlier selected nearby croplands for acquisition for expansion and development of the land port. The decision was changed and their homesteads have been targeted at the behest of some influentials. A section of land department officials are also involved in conspiracy, they told the press conference.

Over 150 families, most of them of Hindu community, are residing in the villages for generations, local Union Parishad Chairman Shamsul Haque said at the press conference held at Satkhira Reporters Club.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Cristian Oikya Parishad General Secretary Prof. Dr. Nim Chandra Bhoumik of Dhaka University and local Hindu community leader Monoranjan Mukherjee also spoke.

They said they earlier sought the prime minister's intervention to save them from eviction from their ancestral homesteads.

Responding to their appeal, the PM's office in a letter (memo no. 2005 (part-2) 299 dated 22.08.05) asked the Satkhira Deputy Commissioner's office to submit an elaborate report. But since then no action has yet been taken while land department has given them eviction notices, they said.

They urged the authorities again to stick to their earlier decision to acquire croplands, sparing their homesteads and threatened of tougher agitation programmes for non-compliance.

The programme will include hunger strike and sit-in on the zero point of Bangladesh-India border, they said.

The government is acquiring lands to build parking area and warehouses for Bhomra land port.

The 150 families of the villagers have been agitating since notices were given on October 21 last year that their homestead would be acquired for the land port.

During a visit to the village on January 20, District Land Acquisition Officer Saidur Rahman told villagers that the government will have to pay a huge amount as compensation if homesteads are acquired instead of the earlier selected lands, they said.