Martyred tea workers’ families given ownership of land
Tarapur Tea Garden in Sylhet witnessed mass killings by Pakistani occupation army on April 18, 1971, during which 39 tea worker families were affected.
After 48 long years, the families are finally getting ownership of the land they have lived on for generations. Tea workers have been deprived of the right to own land for over a century, and this initiative of handing over land ownership to them is a milestone, said Faruque Mahmud Chowdhury, president of rights organisation Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik’s Sylhet chapter.
On Victory Day, three families of martyred tea workers received papers finalising their land ownership. On April 18 this year, 20 families got the papers.
The tea garden, now an endowed property, is looked after by Pankaj Kumar Gupta, who lost five family members in 1971.
Pankaj handed over the documents to the martyrs’ descendants. “My father, uncle, and brothers were killed before my eyes. My life was spared as I was a child. These workers’ families are like me; I can feel their pain,” he said.
“Other martyrs’ families will get land ownership soon, as I believe they deserve this honour for the sacrifice they had to make for the country,” added Pankaj.
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