Influential man cuts off public road claiming his own in Tangail
A local influential person has cut off soil from the approach road of a bridge on a government road at Chatutia village of Dhanbari municipality in Tangail, causing suspension of people and vehicular movement on the bridge and sufferings for locals.
However, Harun-or-Rashid alias Harun Bhendor, son of late Amzad Hossain of Chatutia village, however, claimed ownership of the land of the road.
The matter came to notice of the Dhanbari upazila administration when the picture of the dirt road went viral on Facebook.
On Thursday afternoon, Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Hasan Mohammad Hafizur Rahman and Dhanbari Municipality Mayor Md Moniruzzaman Bakal along with police administration visited the spot.
According to locals, Harun who owns a paddy field beside the road, cut the soil with an excavator from half of the approach road of the bridge on April 13 and claimed it as his own land.
When local people barred him to do so, Harun threatened them to death. In this situation, the local protesters stepped back from there as Harun is an influential person in the area.
Currently movement of both people and vehicles remains suspended through the bridge, causing sufferings to locals, sources said.
As a result, the local people have become enraged with Harun and a tension is prevailing between both the sides, they said.
Several local farmers including Suruzzaman, Altaf, Tofazzal and Anwar said though time has come, they, the farmers in the area, are not harvesting paddies on their fields as it is not possible to take the crop home through the broken road.
The broken road will have to be repaired immediately considering sufferings of the local people, especially the farmers, they said.
"Now we are suffering a lot. We demand that the broken road be repaired immediately. We seek intervention of the municipal mayor and upazila administration in this regard," said Md Suruzzaman, one of the villagers.
Asked why he cut the public road, Harun said," I have cut the road as I have a piece of land on the street. What is the problem with people! I do not want to talk to you about this."
Dhanbari Municipal Mayor Mohammad Miniruzzaman Bakal said, "I have already visited the spot after receiving the news. Action will be taken against Harun for occupying government road."
Dhanbari Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Hasan Mohammad Hafizur Rahman said on Friday that after the matter went viral on Facebook, they visited the spot.
"The man is claiming ownership of land on the road while the local people are facing problem. The matter will be solved immediately after investigation," the AC (Land) added.