Land subsidence victims likely to get full compensation by Eid

The land subsidence victims of 10 villages around the Barapukuria coal mine are likely to get full compensation package money before the coming Eid-ul-Fitr festival.
Advocate Mostafizur Rahman, State Minister for Land and lawmaker of Dinajpur-5 constituency (Parbatipur-Phulbari upazila), assured this to the villagers yesterday.
He was holding a meeting at the mine's conference room with the leaders of Jibon O Shampad Rakkha Committee while several hundred affected villagers were present near the venue.
The villagers started a sit-in programme on June 18 demanding the remaining amount of the package money.
Later, they went on an indefinite sit-in programme on June 28 as the authorities remained indifferent to their demand.
On July 9, the land subsidence victims brought out a protest procession and took position in front of mine gate. Police charged baton, used tear gas shells and fired bullets from shot guns, leaving 20 villagers wounded.
Later, following an intervention by the state minister for land, the affected villagers postponed the agitation till yesterday.
At yesterday's meeting, the state minister said that the local administration would try their best to hand over the remaining package money of Tk 190 crore before the Eid festival.