Grabber eyes Shaheed Minar land

The Shaheed Minar and its boundary wall were damaged partially allegedly in a bid to grab the land at Maidandighi village in Pabna.Photo: STAR

A local ruling party man's initiative to construct a market just in front of a Shaheed Minar at Maidandighi village of Khanmorich union of Bhangura upazila under the district has given rise to grievance among the locals.
Visiting the village in Chalanbeelarea a couple of days ago, this correspondent found that Md Dulal Master, president of Khanmorich union unit of Jubo League, has already constructed foundation of a market in front of the Shaheed Minar.
Walls of the Shaheed Minar were broken as conspiracy is on to occupy the total land of the Shaheed Minar, locals said.
“The union parishad built the Shaheed Minar on the 27 decimal land of government's vested property at Maidandighi Bazar a few years ago. There is no other Shaheed Minar in the remote villages of the union,” said Md Osman Gani, a resident of Maidandighi village.
“But Dulal Master is trying to grab the Shaheed Minar land. Hundreds of villagers submitted an application to the upazila Nirbahi officer last month to stop his illegal construction here," he said.
Bhangura Upazila Nirbahi Officer Asadul Haque said, “The 27-decimal land of the Shaheed Minar land is a vested property of the government. After the influential land grabber started the construction there, we visited the spot and stopped the construction. We will take legal action if he tries it again."
"But the grabber is yet to remove the construction materials from in front of the Shaheed Minar. He damaged the wall of the Shaheed Minar and even touched its main pillar. We demand permanent steps to save the lone Shaheed Minar in the area,” Md Shaheb Ali, a member of local union parishad said.
Asked about the matter, Jubo League leader Dulal Master said, “Ten-decimal area of the 27-decimal land around the Shaheed Minar is recorded in the name of my father. I have already taken lease of the remaining land. I started construction of a market on this land, without touching the Shaheed Minar."
He denied his involvement in breaking part of the Shaheed Minar but could not give any satisfactory answer when asked why the construction materials are kept on the foot of the Shaheed Minar.
On the other hand, Bhangura UNO said, "The Shaheed Minar is on a vested property and it cannot be leased. The grabber's claim is invalid."