Bid to evict 37 Santal families alleged

Thirty-seven Santal families at a press conference held at Rajshahi Press Club yesterday demanded arrest and punishment of some influentials for trying to evict them from their lands by making fake documents at Pakri union in Godagari upazila in Rajshahi.
They blamed on Nurul Islam, Kamal Ahmed and Mannan of adjacent Satpukuria village in Tanore upazila for their alleged bid to evict them from their 3.33 acres of lands. They alleged the influentials gave death threats and threatened to burn their houses.
The Santal families are living in Pakri union legally for 150 years. They pay government tax regularly, they said.
They blamed police for not taking action although they filed a general diary (GD) with Godagari Model Police Station on July 19.
After filing of the case, armed cadres of the influentials forcibly took signature of their community member Disco Mardi and his father Mondol Mardi on a white paper. Nurul Islam's cadres chased them when they went to Rajshahi court for filing a case on August 6, said victim Joseph Hembram.
Among others, Jatiya Adibashi Parishad central president Anil Marandi and secretary Rabindra Nath Saren spoke.