Pack of land grabbersthreatens Naboganga

2 May 2009, 18:00 PM

Azibor Rahman, Jhenidah

Lifting earth from the bank of Naboganga at Gobradanga point in Harinakundu upazila of Jhenidah continues by an influential person under the nose of administration. Photo: STAR

Indiscriminate lifting of earth from the banks of the Naboganga by local land grabbers is threatening the river and its surroundings. Everyday a huge quantity of earth is sold by cutting the banks of the river under the nose of district administration. The course of the river at Mathurapur and Pormathurapur points is changing while its water is flooding the nearby villages damaging crops in the rainy season due to mindless earth lifting, locals and environmentalists alleged. Visiting the spot this correspondent found that a good number of musclemen of local land grabbers have built houses and markets occupying the river's land and selling earth by rampantly cutting its bank. The most threatened areas are Gilabaria, Mathurapur of the town and Chandpur, Hakimpur, Daulatpur and Gobordanga where a huge quantity of earth is lifted and sold every day. In a complaint submitted recently to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) one Aktar Hossain of Mathurapur village said that the owners of a brick kiln had destroyed the earth of khas land at Hakimpur Mouza. Nobody dares to open mouth as the land grabber is powerful, he alleged. Villagers alleged that a land grabber hailing from Batia-danga under Harinakunda upazila is selling earth by cutting the bank of the Naboganga river at Gobordanga point. He is doing a brisk business allegedly by selling earth at Tk 200 per trolley. If this goes on, the nearby areas will be in a great danger, villagers said expressing fear. Convenor of district environment and animal protection committee lamented that all their appeals to save the river went unheeded. "We have submitted memo to the DC twice urging him to take stern steps but to no effect. So we shall launch an agitation involving the people of Jhenidah soon to evict the land grabbers," he said. Contacted, DC Rafiqul Islam said he received a memo recently. "I will take stern action against the persons involved in such illegal activities," he said.