Landless people's leaders 'loot' shrimp enclosure

20 sued in Satkhira

22 November 2009, 17:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Satkhira

Twenty leaders and activists of local organisations of landless people were sued on Saturday night for allegedly occupying a 270-bigha shrimp enclosure on khas land at Norarchak in Debhata upazila. They were also accused of looting cash, fish, damaging office building and beating up the staff of the enclosure on November 15. The accused include Satkhira district landless association president Kawsar Ali, Norarchak landless association president Abul Hossain and general secretary Nazrul Islam and local landless leaders and activists Mokarram Sheikh, Golam Sana, Sirajul Islam, Yad Ali Moral, Esad Ali Moral, Shahidul Islam, Abdullah Gazi, Kenaram Mondal, Ayub Hossain, Paritosh Biswas, Bishnu Pada Biswas, Shashi Biswas, Supada Mondal, Bappi Mondal, Baburam Mondal and Rafiqul Islam of Norarchak in Debhata upazila and Nazmul Arefin Miltu, son of Fazlur Rahman of Sultanpur in the town. Syed Joynul Abedin of Munjitpur in the town, also a staff of the shrimp enclosure, filed the case against 20 landless leaders and activists. The complainant said, Dr Abu Yusuf Abdullah, a teacher of Dhaka University set up a farm named Bengal Scientific Shrimp Culture Ltd taking lease of the khas land covering 270 bighas at Norarchak to cultivate shrimp in 2006. He alleged that over 200 landless people led by Satkhira district landless association president Kawsar Ali, Norarchak landless association president Abul Hossain and general secretary Nazrul Islam attacked the staff of the enclosure and damaged its office and occupied the area on November 15. Seven staff of the enclosure were also injured in the attack.They are Abdul Bari, China Begum, Abdus Sattar, Khokon, Nur Ali, Golam Sana, Kabir Gazi and Hossain Gazi, said the allegation. Later they looted fish, cash and other valuables worth over Tk 70 lakh from the shrimp enclosure, it said. Contacted, officer in charge (OC) of Debhata police station Samsul Haque said, a case was filed accusing 20 people. "We are trying to arrest the accused", he said.