Mirzaganj (Patuakhali) Correspondent

A human chain was formed on the Barguna-Betagi road to protest against the illegal resale of land donated as a gift through fraud and to demand punishment for the fraudsters.

The human chain was held on the Barisal-Betagi-Barguna road in the Kazirabad area of Barguna's Betagi upazila at around 11 am on Saturday.

The victim's family and local people from all walks of life participated in the human chain organized under the banner of 'Local Residents and Victims'.

The speakers at the human chain said that in 2016, Faruk Alam, a resident of Gabua village in Kakra Bunia union of Betagi upazila, and his brother Haji Sumon, a resident of Gabuya village in Kakra Bunia union of neighboring Mirzaganj upazila, legally purchased a piece of land from Abdus Sattar of Ayla (Chandkhali) village of Kazirabad union of Betagi upazila. After the transaction and documents were completed, the donors gave the recipients possession of the land and the recipients have been enjoying the land by building a two-story house and a shop stall in front of it. About 10 years later, the sons and daughters of the donor suddenly claimed from the current occupant that the land was in their name. Then the current occupant came to know that the donor had very cleverly and fraudulently written the land in the name of his children before selling the land to him. Later, when this fraud came to light, there was intense anger in the area. When the next buyer came to know about the matter, the donor also applied to the concerned office to cancel the land deed given to the children. But his children are reluctant to return the land documents. The victims allege that they are using various means to seize the land through force.