Bid to evict landless people from khas land protested

Several hundred people, including 17 landless families, formed a human chain at Thakurgaon intersection in the town yesterday, protesting alleged bid to evict landless families from a khas land by local land grabbers at Barunagaon village in Sadar upazila.

They also gave a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Chandra Biswas, demanding urgent steps to save the landless families from the clutches of the land grabbers and also allocation of the khas land against the landless people.

In the memorandum, the landless people of Barunagaon village said they have been living on around 12 acres of khas land for around 45 years.

A few years ago, the landless people submitted applications with the local land office to allocate the khas land for them. The applications are being processed.

Recently, around 100 people led by one Nurul Islam went to the village to evict the landless families from the land, saying the local land office has allocated the land against Montu Das and Shyamol of Ghospara in Thakurgaon municipality.   

Nurul Islam had attempted to grab the land in 2011, which led to a clash between his men the landless people.

Later, Nurul Islam filed a case against the members of 17 landless families. He also filed a case with the judge's court over the land issue the same year.

The landless people said Nurul and his hired goons are still threatening them to leave the place or face dire consequences. They also asked the families not to inform the police or public representatives of the matter.

Nurul Islam could not be contacted as his cellphone was switched off.