NARAYANGANJ CORRESPONDENT: Local residents of Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj have staged a human chain and held a press conference in the capital, demanding protection of agricultural land and homesteads in Kayetpara and Rupganj unions.
The residents alleged that sand filling, road construction and other activities are being carried out in several areas in the name of the Jolshiri Housing Project without purchasing the land from its owners. They also expressed concern that the activities could eventually lead to the eviction of local residents from their ancestral homesteads.
The human chain was organised by the Paitrik Bhita-Mati Sangrakkhan Parishad in front of the National Press Club at around 10:00am on Friday (August 28). Later, the organisation held a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity at noon.
A written statement was presented at the press conference by the organisation’s convener/member secretary, Ahsan Ullah. Alhaj Abu Bakar Siddique, Rafiqul Islam, Sergeant Ilias Parvez, Abdus Salam, Ahsan Ullah Master, lawyer Nazmul Islam and lecturer Nur Salam also spoke at the event.
The protesters said their movement was not against the country’s armed forces. Rather, they said they were protesting alleged land grabbing, sand filling and the fear of losing their homes in the name of the Jolshiri housing project.
According to the written statement, attempts were made in 2010 to occupy around 7,000 bighas of agricultural land across 17 mouzas in Kayetpara and Rupganj unions without acquisition. The residents claimed that when local people protested, they faced attacks and legal cases.
They further alleged that parts of the area’s triple-crop agricultural land were subsequently occupied through sand filling.
The affected residents claimed that activities under Jolshiri Project-1 began after landowners were allegedly intimidated and with the support of influential local individuals. Later, they said, a boundary-indicating map was prepared for Jolshiri Project-2, incorporating agricultural land and homesteads in Kayetpara and Rupganj unions.
The residents alleged that sand filling is now being carried out at various locations on the basis of that map, despite the project authorities allegedly not purchasing the land from the owners.
The press conference was also told that more than 200 local residents had submitted written complaints to Rupganj Police Station over the matter. In addition, they said peaceful human chains had been organised to press their demands. Around 100 complaints mentioning specific RS plot numbers were also reportedly submitted to Rupganj Police Station through an assistant superintendent of police.
The residents said they had also submitted memorandums to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer and the Deputy Commissioner of Narayanganj. However, they alleged that no effective action had been taken despite repeated applications.
The protesters also raised allegations concerning the filling of the Ichhakhali Canal in Rupganj with sand. According to local residents, the canal had long been an important waterway for navigation, irrigation of agricultural land and fishing.
They claimed that the canal’s filling had caused waterlogging problems for residents of around 24 nearby villages. They demanded immediate removal of the sand, re-excavation of the canal and restoration of its navigability.
At the press conference, the residents placed a nine-point set of demands, including an immediate halt to sand filling and road construction on land that has not been purchased; re-excavation of the Ichhakhali Canal; publication of the housing project’s precise boundaries and maps; establishment of the housing project outside existing homesteads; and ensuring proper compensation and rehabilitation for affected people.
The protesters called for government intervention to protect agricultural land, waterways and the ancestral homes of local residents.
