Rezia Khatun, widow of late freedom fighter Moharram Ali, still waits to get possession of the house (marked X) allocated to her 20 years ago at Golahat in Saidpur municipality. Photo: STAR

Widow of a freedom fighter is living amid misery in a makeshift room on a railway land in Bangalipur Mahalla of Saidpur municipality under the district as she is yet to get possession of a government allocated house, despite receiving its official documents 20 years ago.
Rezia Khatun, 65, wife of late freedom fighter Moharram Ali, got allotment of a five-decimal land with a tin-shed house (No 204) at Golahat in Saidpur municipality on December 12, 1992, said sources of Saidpur upazila unit of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad.
The then Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC -- Revenue) of Nilphamari handed over relevant land documents to Rezia Khatun and directed the then government surveyor of Saidpur to hand over the house to her.
But due to negligence of the officials concerned and conspiracy of a vested quarter, Rezia is yet to get possession of the house, sources said.
"Abdul Gani, a retired sub inspector (SI) of police, who managed to get allotment of an abandoned house (No 205) beside my allotted house (No 204) a few years ago, forcibly occupied my house and made it an extended part of his house," Rezia Khatun said.
“I fail to get elated even on the Victory Day and the Independence Day as I have no value in the society as a freedom fighter's widow,” said Rezia in a choked voice.
Her only son died in an accident a few years ago.
Ekramul Haque, commander of Saidpur upazila unit of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad, said, "I requested the officials concerned a number of times to make arrangement as per law to hand over the house to Rezia Khatun, the real allottee, but to no effect yet."
"The office of Public Works Department in Nilphamari issued a letter in 2003, terming the retired police officer as an illegal occupant, and asked him to vacate the house. In reply, the latter claimed that he was not in possession of house No 204," Ekramul added.
When contacted, Abdul Gani said, "The government had allocated 18 decimals of land with a house (No 205) for me. Some quarters claim a portion of my house to be allotted house of the widow. But it is not true, as it does not bear the inscription of house No-204. I don't know where the house No 204 is situated.”
Visiting the spot on Saturday, this correspondent found that there was no number plate inscribing house No 204.
Perhaps someone removed it to make actual location of the house allocated for Rezia Khatun unidentifiable, said a few locals, adding that the boundary wall of house No 205 belonging to retired SI Abdul Gani was extended to occupy Rezia's house.
On November 28 this year, Rezia Khatun lodged a written petition to the deputy commissioner, also president of 'committee for allotment of government's abandoned properties', seeking help to get the possession of her government allocated house.
On contact, ADC (Revenue) SAM Rafiqunnabi said he did not know the actual position of the house under question. He, however, assured taking necessary step after gathering information.