Remaining 2700 yet be recovered, no case filed

More than a week after the seizure of 700 stolen trees, now lying on Lohagara upazila office ground in Narail, the authorities are yet to file any case against the accused.Looted from khas land, they are also not recovering the rest 2700 trees from the ruling party men for 'mysterious' reasons.Photo: STAR

More than a week into the recovery of 700 stolen trees from the possession of ruling party men in Lohagara Bazar area, the administration is still mysteriously indifferent to the matter.
District administration sources said neither the officials filed any case nor they sped up the drive to recover the remaining 2700 trees from the possession of the aforesaid people.
This correspondent on Thursday reported about the theft of 3000 trees and seizure of 700 on January 31. Between January 14 and 24, the trees were stolen from 4.86-acre stretch of a khas plot under No 44 Charjajira Mouza of Kashiani upazila in Gopalganj district. Though the land is documented under Kashiani upazila, it is situated on the Narail side of the Modhumoti River that divides Narail and Gopalganj districts.
On Saturday, the 700 seized trees were stored at Lohagara upazila parishad office ground. The recovery was made in a joint drive by Lohagara upazila officials and police administration on Friday.
Bodoruzzaman, chairman of Lohagara union, alleged that with the connivance of a section of policemen at the local PS and district officials, a group of ruling party men, allegedly led by Alauddin Munshi, vice president of Lohagara upazila unit Awami League, stole at least 3000 mature trees worth over Tk 50 lakh from a khas land at Kalna village.
Contacted, Daulat Ahmed Khan, president of Lohagara upazila AL, said that they strongly denounced such a theft done by Alauddin Munshi.
“No case was filed because a member of parliament backs him,” said Khan.
Hemayet Hossain of Kalna village under Lohagara upazila of Narail. who claims to have inherited the plot, said that he went to Lohagara PS when the criminals began looting the trees but police refused to take any step.
“They are unwilling to take any case in this regard,” Hossain said.
On January 25, when Narail-2 ruling party Member of Parliament (MP) SK Abu Baker came to Narail crossing Kalna ferry ghat, several hundred villagers including women besieged his jeep, protesting the tree theft. The villagers chanted slogan demanding punishment of Alauddin Munshi and his accomplices who felled the trees.
The MP said that he can of course be held responsible for all activities of party activists and leaders in the area.
“But I never accepted such a heinous act. As soon as I heard about the theft, I asked the district administration to take action against the perpetrators," he added.
Rebeka Khan, upazila nirbahi officer of Lohagara said that she contacted the UNO of Kashiani upazila in Gopalgang district who told her that they would file a case and take steps to recover the other trees.
Sardar Rokibul Islam, police superintendent of Narail, said they would take action after filing of case by the administration in this regard.