BCL leader, three others arrested for land grab attempt

Rajapur upazila unit Chhatra League president and three others were arrested yesterday when they were "trying to drive out a family of their house to grab the land" in College Road area of Rajapur upazila town, said police.

The four are BCL leader Ahsan Habib Rubel, his mother and two of his followers.

Sheikh Monirul Gias, officer-in-charge of Rajapur Police Station, said the attackers injured seven people, including five women. They were admitted to Rajapur Upazila Health Complex. Three of them were in a critical condition. 

Injured Sahera Begum, 45, owner of the house, alleged that some 50 to 60 youths, led by Rubel, attacked their house around 4:00am yesterday. They had firearms, iron rods, sticks and sharp weapons.

They hacked and beat up all the family members after vandalising the house and furniture, said Sahera, wife of Faruk Shikder. Faruk stays and runs his business in Chittagong.

The attackers also looted valuable gold ornaments and mobile phones at gunpoint, said Kabita, 26, another victim of the attack. Kabita, a relative of Sahera, went to the house to visit Sahera.

Earlier, Rubel demanded Tk 10 lakh from their family if they wanted to live in the house, alleged Sahera, a mother of three.

They refused to give the money as they are the real owner of the land, she said.

Contacted, Rubel said neither he nor anyone of his family went to grab the house. Police arrested him and others from his house. "We have a land dispute with the family.” 

There are three cases against Rubel with Rajapur Police Station, said OC Gias. 

Some policemen were deployed in the area to avert any further untoward incidents, he added.

A case was filed against the four with Rajapur Police Station.