AL leader's market on school land
A ruling party man erected a market allegedly grabbing primary school land in Gouripur upazila of the district.
Shah Rafiqul Islam Dipu, secretary of Awami League (AL) Gouripur Municipality unit, started building the market on Kaltapara Government Primary School land in 2015 and completed it in May this year. The market was inaugurated in June this year, school and local sources said.
As the then headmaster Monofor Ali protested the building of the market, Dipu, also president of the school managing committee, transferred him to another primary school of Gouripur using his political influence, local people said.
Assistant teacher Namita Rani Sarker was made the headmaster (in-charge) and Dipu built the market, they added.
Of the eight shops in the market, four have been rented.
Present headmaster Morsheda Khatun said she did not receive any rent from the market's shops till today.
She said she did not inform the matter to the higher authorities as they know it. Morsheda joined the school on December 13 last year as its headmaster.
Claiming that the land belonged to the Roads and Highways Department, not to the school, Dipu said, “I built the market after talking with officials of the department.” He, however, kept mum when asked whether it is legal or illegal to construct a market on government land.
“I invested around Tk 9 lakh to construct eight shops, and the market will be handed over to the school authority after I recover my investment,” Dipu said.
Md Johir Uddin, upazila primary education officer (in-charge), said neither Rafiqul nor the school authority took any permission for constructing the market.
Gouripur Upazila Parishad Chairman Ahmed Taybur Rahman Hiron, also president of upazila primary education committee, said there was no scope to build commercial establishments on the school land. Dipu did not seek any permission from the upazila education committee, Hiron added.
Marzina Akhter, Gouripur upazila nirbahi officer, said the administration would take necessary steps for the interest of the school.
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