Ctg teacher gets back his land

Niranjan Chakraborty, the 98-year-old retired schoolteacher of Chattogram’s Anwara upazila, yesrteday got his ancestral land back from the grabbers, thanks to the intervention of local administration and law enforcers.

Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, who is also the lawmaker of the locality, instructed authorities concerned to take stern action against the perpetrators after he had come to know about the eviction of the elderly teacher and his family, said Towhidul Haque Chowdhury, chairman of Anwara Upazila Parishad.

The registration of returning the property to Niranjan was completed at the upazila sub-registrar office in the afternoon, said Md Salahuddin, sub-registrar of Anwara upazila.

“The ownership of the land was transferred in a legal manner,” he added.

After getting back the land, family members of Niranjan expressed gratitude to the administration, law enforcers, and public representatives and the journalists.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the minister [Javed], administration and law enforcers for their initiatives, said Papia Chakraborty, granddaughter of Niranjan.

“I would also like to thank the journalists for publishing the news,” she added.

Several media outlets, including The Daily Star, published stories on this issue in the last couple of days.

The family is still in fear as the grabbers are quite influential in the locality.

“My grandfather became so shocked that we don’t know whether he would dare to return home,” Papia also said.

Sheikh Jobair Ahmed, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Anwara, said the certified copy of the registration would be handed over to Niranjan’s family tomorrow.

The UNO assured of providing all necessary security to the family after their return home.

Earlier, Niranjan was also forced to sign documents announcing transfer of the land ownership to the grabbers, said family members.

According to a case filed with Anwara Police Station by Niranjan’s son Pranab Ranjan Chakroborty on April 18, some 13 people led by local resident Kamrul Islam Helal forcibly took the fingerprint of Niranjan at gunpoint on April 10.

The total amount of land is 16.58 decimal, the case statement read.

Helal could not be contacted for his comment as he did not receive his cell phone despite repeated attempts yesterday.