Farmers demand return

Hundreds of indigenous and Bangalee farmers of Gaibandha staged a demonstration in the capital yesterday demanding return of land acquired for Rangpur Sugar Mills Limited, alleging that the authorities violated the contract by cultivating crops other than sugarcane and leasing out parts of the land.

Jatiya Adivasi Parishad, a platform of indigenous communities, and Sahebganj-Bagdafarm Bhumi Uddhar Sangram Committee organised the demonstration, starting off with a rally at Central Shaheed Minar and then bringing out a procession leading to Jatiya Press Club.

The protesters claimed that the crops included paddy and tobacco while they were barred from using the 1,842.30-acre land.

It was acquired in 1954-55 for the mill, established in Mahimaganj under Rangpur division around 1957-58 under the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation, they said.

Holding bows and arrows, the demonstrators threatened to sacrifice their lives for the lands of their ancestors.

Oikya Nap President Pankaj Bhattacharya said, “According to the law, the mill has to surrender the land to the government and the government has to return the land to successors.”

Noted columnist Syed Abul Maksud said, “The state violated a basic human right by grabbing the lands...which is also a violation of the constitution.”

He urged the government to form a judicial committee with the ministries concerned, ensure return of the land and provide compensation to the farmers.

Jatiya Adivasi Parishad President Rabindranath Soren said, “People of 15 Adivasi villages and five Bangalee villages of Sahebganj-Bagdafarm area have become landless and jobless as the mill authority illegally leased out parts of the land to powerful persons.”

“The Adivasis want to cultivate crops on their own lands,” he said.

However, talking to The Daily Star, a high official of the sugar mill, on condition of anonymity, termed the demands “illogical” and claimed that the illegal leases had been cancelled.

He acknowledged cultivating various crops and planting trees to lessen “huge” losses for which the mill had to be kept shut for three years from 2004 and the mill was still running intermittently.

“We do not bar them from cultivating crops on the land,” he said, adding that it was reasonable that the affected persons who had no livelihood hoped to get back their land if the mill had to shut down.