<i> Trees fall victim to senseless rivalry</i>

BARBARIC VENGEANCE! Criminals destroy around 125 fruit bearing mango trees at an orchard owned by Mohammad Shamsul Huda, also the imam of a local mosque, at Ghoshial village in Sreepur upazila of Magura district on Saturday night allegedly following a dispute over formation of the mosque committee.Photo: STAR

Criminals cut down around 125 mango trees at an orchard at Ghoshial village in Sreepur upazila of Magura district on Saturday night.
Mohammad Shamsul Huda, owner of the orchard and also the Imam of a local mosque, told newsmen yesterday morning that he had planted mango saplings on 50 decimals of land four years ago.
“Some villagers are involved in this callous act as I have a rivalry with them over formation of the mosque's committee”, Huda said.
He further said that he would file a case with the police station concerned, naming those villages as accused.
Locals have condemned the heinous act and demanded legal steps against the persons involved
“Shamsul Huda planted the mango saplings on the land that he took lease from a local farmer four years back. Stern action should be taken against the culprits who chopped down his fruit-bearing trees,” said Akram Hossain Mian, a villager of Ghoshial.
Contacted, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sreepur Police Station Kazi Abdus Salek said no case was filed with the police station as of 5:00pm yesterday.
He, however, said they have taken the matter into cognisance and will take necessary steps to find the real culprits.