Some local ruling party men have allegedly grabbed eight acres of land belonging to a minority Hindu family at Hatibandha upazila in Lalmonirhat district.

Although the Hindu family had filed a complaint with the local police station against the Awami League (AL) men, no step has been taken so far to ward off the aggression.

Moreover, the alleged grabbers — Patikapara Union Ward No 4 AL President Hafizul Islam, its General Secretary Abul Kalam, and AL activists Hazrat Ali and Redwan Ahmed — and their men also threatening land owner Rathindra Nath Roy and his wife Sushila Rani of Parulia village, with dire consequences if they dared to go to the land further.

While talking, Rathindra said due to river erosion vast tracts of his ancestral land were devoured by the Teesta river nearly 40 to 45 years ago.

Later, about 10 years back a huge landmass emerged from the riverbed on the same place and gradually turned into a Char land, Rathindra said, adding that, “Since then I have been growing various crops on the char land.”

“On November 13, four men suddenly claimed the ownership of the land when me and my wife Sushila went to the land to sow maize seeds,” Rathindra lamented.

The gang also beat them up mercilessly and drove them out of the land, he added.

Rathindra’s wife Sushila said the land grabbers are now forcing her husband to sign a non-judicial stamp, stating that he is handing over the ownership of the land to them.

Contacted, one of the alleged grabbers Abul Kalam claimed that recently four of them purchased eight acres land from Rathindra Nath for Tk 80 lakh.

Lands are bought or sold by signing on no-judicial stamps as land registry is not done in the Char areas, he said.

Another occupier Hazrat Ali said they bought the land for Tk 87 lakh and planted maize there.

Patikapara Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Majibul Alam Sadat, also organizing secretary of the upazila unit AL, said if farmer Rathindra’s complaint is found true legal action will be taken against the culprits.

Officer in Charge (OC) of Hatibandha Police Station Shah Alam said he had received a complaint in this regard, but as it is a land related issue the local UP chairman has been asked to resolve the matter locally.

Hatibandha Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nazir Hossain said he was not aware of the matter.