<i>Trees fall victim to vengeance</i>

SAVAGERY UNFORGIVABLE! Thirty-eight mature mango trees at the orchard of schoolteacher Abdur Rahman at Magura village in Nawabganj upazila under Dinajpur district got axed on Saturday last as a former chairman of the school managing committee allegedly did the barbaric act to avenge his failure to continue holding the post.Photo: STAR

Thirty-eight mature mango trees owned by a teacher of Madhya Magura Kathalpara High School in Nawabganj upazila under the district have been felled down allegedly to avenge failure to remain as chairman of the school managing committee.
"Nayeb Ali and his hired goons felled down 38 mango trees on my orchard at Madhya Magura village of Nawabganj upazila on January 21 Saturday night," Md Abdur Rahman, an assistant teacher of the school, said in his complaint filed with Nawabganj police station yesterday.
"While returning home from a fair at Gopalpur in the same upazila, some villagers including Md Abdul Mannan, 45, and Abdur Rahim, 42, recognised the tree fellers and started screaming. Then the criminals fled away," he mentioned.
Abdur Rahman planted the 38 mango trees about six years ago on his six acres of land at Madhya Magura village and the trees started yielding fruit about three years ago, said the teacher.
Nine people including Nayeb Ali were made accused in the complaint, said Forhad Imrul Kayes, officer in charge of Nawabganj police station.
Nayeb Ali, who served as chairman of the managing committee of Madhya Magura Kathalpara High School in the previous term, got aggrieved after he lost the post last year, locals said.
Then he started conspiracy against the school teachers and managing committee members, they said.
"After losing the post of school managing committee chairman last year, Nayeb Ali threatened several school teachers of dire consequences. Thereafter, he filed cases against a few teachers to harass them. Now he did the heinous act of tree cutting out of vengeance," said Md Iqbal Hossain, headmaster of Madhya Magura Kathalpara High School.
Nayeb, also former president of local Mamudpur union parishad unit of Awami League (AL), recently stepped down due to pressure from local AL leaders.
Several villagers said Nayeb often files cases against local innocent people to harass them, aiming to grab their lands.
Nayeb occupied at least four acres of land of forest department and a case in this regard is pending with the court, said Nishikanta Sarker, beat officer of Charkai Range in Nawabganj upazila.
Nayeb Ali could not be contacted as he was not available in the area and his cell phones were found off as this correspondent repeatedly tried to call him.