Land offices, which store important land related documents, have become the target of arson during the ongoing indefinite blockade with vandals setting some of those on fire at night.

A number of arson attacks on land offices have been reported at district and upazila headquarters in last three weeks, prompting eminent citizens and rights activists to express their concerns over the incidents.

Even yesterday miscreants set fire to a union land office at Shologhar in Srinagar upazila of Munshiganj, damaging its main doors and windows partially.

A platform under the banner "National Citizen Coordination Cell to Implement the Vested Property Return Act" in a statement said a vested interested group, cashing in on the current political situation, was out to destroy all records of those offices.

Quoting newspaper reports, the statement added miscreants had set fire to the offices in Mymensingh Sadar, Feni's Chhagalnaiya, Rajshahi's Charghat and Bagha, Lakshmipur Sadar, Faridpur Sadar and Noakhali Sadar in last few days.

The platform suspects an ill motive is on to grab land by ousting the legal owners and making false documents.

"We apprehend that those who are always active in grabbing khas land, houses of religious minorities, vested property, and land and houses of indigenous people might be involved in such sabotage," the statement reads.

It seems land grabbers are involved in deep conspiracy to get their job done, it adds.

The Citizens demanded that the authorities concerned look into the matter to identify if any "corrupt" officers and employees had any links to such acts.

They also demanded that the authorities find out the quarters involved in the criminal activities through proper investigations and ensure their exemplary punishment.

They also called for ensuring security to all land offices across the country.

On behalf of National Citizen Coordination Cell, Sultana Kamal, Khushi Kabir, Kamal Lohani, Rana Dasgupta, Abul Barkat, Shamsul Huda, Tabarak Hossain, Subrata Chowdhury, Sara Hossain and Kajal Debnath signed the statement.