News No. 113/2011, May 4, 2011
THERE are allegations of a plot to capture government Khas land as well as lands belonging to Tripura community in Phaitong Mouza under Lama Upazila of Bandarban district, according to a report published in Samakal, a Bengali daily, today.
The villagers alleged that Chairman Nuru and Mohammad Shamshu, brother of ex-chairman, were attempting to grab 400 acres of land in the area.
Already, 20 acres of forest belonging to the villagers have been destroyed, the report said.
When the villagers resisted the move, the land grabbers filed a GD (General Diary) with the police.
In 1980, the district administration leased out 120 acres of land in Phaitong Mouza No. 306 to one A. A. Sultan Ahmed for horticulture.
However, the authorities canceled his lease in 1984 – 85 as he failed to use the land within stipulated 3 years time from the date of lease.
No new leases have been contracted in respect of the said piece of land ever since.
Adjacent to the said land are registered and occupancy lands belonging to Tripura and Marma communities of Jaditung Para village.
Mohammad Shamshu, brother of ex chairman Rafiq, and Nuru, chairman of Harbang Union Council, are now trying to capture both ‘Khas’ land and lands belonging to the Jumma villagers.
Noliram Tripura, Karbari of Jaditung Para, said the Tripura and Marma communities have been living in Jaditung Para for 35 years.
At present a total of nine Tripura families live in the village. Besides practicing jum cultivation, they have now taken to horticulture.
Asked about the capture of the land the lease of which was canceled, Phaitong Mouza headman Umra Mong said, “There is no more holding (rehabilitation holding) on that land, which means that there is no land for rehabilitation. Some of the lands have been parceled out to the subjects in return for ground rent to do Jum cultivation. And the rest of the land is, as per government rule, still lying `Khas’.”