Sreepur (Gazipur) Correspondent 

A local land grabber gang is trying to forcibly occupy long-occupied land in the Baniarchala area under Joydebpur police station in Gazipur.

 The victim, Md. Shakhawat Hossain, has alleged that a top BNP leader is directly behind this gang. He and his family are currently suffering from extreme insecurity after being subjected to attempts to seize land, vandalism, beatings, threats and false cases.

Md. Shakhawat Hossain (40) presented this information at a press conference organized at the Hotapara journalist office in Gazipur Sadar Upazila on Tuesday. 

He said that as a resident of Sirirachala area, he has been peacefully occupying and occupying a total of 126 percent of land in SA 563, S 249 and RS 2548 plots in Baniarchala Mouza for a long time.

However, he recently alleged that an organized gang of land grabbers, with the help of Islam Uddin, a member of the Gazipur Sadar Upazila BNP convening committee and former treasurer of the district BNP, is trying to seize his land.

The victim claimed that on June 23 at around 9:30 pm, the accused Ramzan (45), Faruk Hossain (40), Babu Mia (40), Delwar Hossain Delu (42), Farid Alam (27), Masum (25), Alvi Sarkar (28), Razzak (32), Kafil (47), Al Amin (28) and 18-20 unidentified persons illegally entered the land owned by him with country-made weapons. They forcibly entered the main gate, abused him in foul language and vandalized the CCTV cameras, market and establishment. During this time, they beat up the security personnel and seriously injured them and caused a loss of about 2,70,000 (two lakh seventy thousand) taka.

After this incident, a case was registered at Joydevpur Police Station on June 25 based on a written complaint. However, Shakhawat Hossain alleged that the victim's family has been subjected to various types of threats and harassment since the case was filed.

He further said that he is being threatened with death if he does not withdraw the case. Even his photo is being edited and spread through social media to create confusion in the society as an Awami League supporter. Not only that, he claims that on June 29, a person named Nadim Haider filed a false case against Shakhawat Hossain and 8 members of his family at Joydebpur Police Station.

At the press conference, Shakhawat Hossain said, "I and my family are now suffering from extreme insecurity. We demand the withdrawal of the conspiracy case against us and the prompt arrest and punishment of the real land grabbers." He expects a fair investigation and trial of the matter from the higher authorities of the administration.