Grabbers' goons attack landless on <i>khas</i> land

23 August 2009, 17:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Pabna

Around 25 people including men, women, and children were injured as attackers tried to oust landless people from khas land at Milanchar village of Handial union in Chatmohar upazila under Pabna district Saturday afternoon. The land grabbers also damaged and looted the houses. About 20/25 landless families have been living for the last five years on two acres of land at Milanchar village beside Gumani River with permission from the authorities concerned, police and locals said. Victims said a gang led by Abdus Sattar and Saiful Islam of the same village are trying to occupy the land through forged documents. On Saturday afternoon, about 80 armed men set by the land grabbers attacked the area, damaged around 25 houses of landless people, looted goods and threw furniture into the river. Trying to prevent the attackers, the landless people faced wrath of the attackers who beat them mercilessly. Informed, Chatmohar police rushed to the spot, chased the attackers and arrested four of them from the spot. They are Md Montu, 30, Saiful, 40, Jahangir Alam, 25, and Wares Ali, 22. A case was field with the Chatmohar Police Station about the incident accusing 70/80 people, police said. Among the injured are Habibur Hobu, 35, Anwara Begum, 46, Nabir Uddin, 35, Mojahar 30, Abeda, 50, Malek, 40, Sakina, 40, Safina, 22, Faruk Hossain, 30, Marjina Khatun, 30, Abdur Rajjak, 30, Golezan, 50, Raihan, 30, Shipu, 8, Monir, 6, Shaila, 9, Sagor, 12, are critical. Eight of them were admitted to Chatmohar hospital. “The attackers damaged our houses and goods. We are in panic as the attackers may come again,” a victim woman said. “The main culprits are yet to be nabbed. Police is trying to round up all the criminals. We have deployed additional police on the spot to resist further attack,” said Chatmohar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sayed Shahid Alam said. “The land is a disputed one. The landless people had sent an application to us earlier. We will take action as per law,” said Chatmohaqr Upazila Nirbahi Officer ASM Rafiqunnabi.