It's so easy to grab lands

Twenty-nine Marma families have been compelled to live inside some shabby huts since they were allegedly forced out of their ancestral land at Lama upazila in Bandarban nearly seven months ago.

They had no other option but to flee their homes at Mangbichar Baching Marma Para as the land grabbers in the name of making a rubber plantation there had been threatening them with life.

They claim that hired thugs had vandalised and looted their homes and valuables when they refused to bow to the threats and pressure of the land grabbers.

As they had nowhere else to go after their “eviction”, they built and took shelter in temporary huts in the upazila's Tirishdeba Para, Gajalia area and other places in nearby Alikadam upazila.

Visiting the places recently, it was seen that the Marma families consisting of around 150 members, including children and the elderly, were simply living in appalling condition.

They had limited access to food, drinking water and sanitation.

“You can't imagine our condition here. We are passing our days in extreme misery. We just want our homes back,” said Baching Karbari, chief of the group.

“The armed men used to snatch all our belongings, and threaten us. They also started raiding our houses at night and robbing us of our belongings, including domestic animals.”

Karbari alleged that Mohammadia Jamia Sharif, a local organisation, was behind everything.

However, Mohammad Anisur Rahman, director of the organisation, refuted the allegation, saying they did not evict anyone.

The official said they “bought” some 600 acres of land in Sangumouza from the Marma families. He also claimed to have a No Objection Certificates (NOC) signed by them.

Contacted, a top police official of the district said they had sent some of their officers to the scene recently to look into the matter and found the land had actually been sold by the Marma families.   

Asked, Thank Pre, headman of the mauza, claimed that the organisation committed forgery during signing of the papers. 

Anisur denied the allegation too.

Mohammadia Jamia Sharif is involved in rubber, tree plantation and horticulture and has illegally purchased 2,000 acres of land in Sangumouza, locals say.

The mouza headman claimed that he approached Bandarban Deputy Commissioner KM Tariqul Islam several times in this connection. 

“But he could not assure of our safety,” he claimed.

Contacted, The DC said, “We have heard about the eviction. The concerned UNO has already been told to look into the matter.”

Asked about the alleged paper-forgery, he said, “Action will be taken if anyone is found guilty.” 

In 2012, 17 indigenous Mro families of Amtali Mro Para, and another 17 families of Chariggyo Karbaripara in Lama upazila were also reportedly “evicted” by the same plantation company.

Indigenous people of five other villages -- Muktaram Karbari Para, Goyalmara Para, Nitichandra Tripura Karbari Para, Keranijiri Para, and Banfur Painchaprue Para -- are also under threat, the headman alleged.

Since the 1997 signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, people of 10 indigenous villages of the district have been evicted by Bangalee settlers, private rubber plantation owners and horticulturists, said Jumlian Amlai, president of Parbatya Chattagram Forest and Land Rights Protection Movement (Bandarban Chapter).

“The administration is yet to take action against the land grabbers,” he added.

“Mohammadia Jamia Tree Plantation has violated the Hill District Council Act of 1989 and CHT Manual of 1900 as they have purchased khas land, and played a trick to receive no demand agreements from the innocent people,” said KS Mong Marma, a member of Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council.