Endowed property ‘sold’ by custodian!

A petition was filed on Sunday with the deputy commissioner of Patuakhali, seeking protection and recovery of endowed property of a century-old Buddhist temple, belonging to the Rakhine community in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali.

The petition was co-signed by Luma Magni, a Rakhine rights movement leader and president of Kuakata Rakhine Market, and Uchachi Master (Madbar), a resident of Keranipara in Kuakata.

According to the petition, several of the people who are entrusted with the safekeeping of the property, with the connivance of a few members of the Rakhine community, have forged land documents for transferring a part of the land to influential individuals.  

The entire property, 99 decimals total, had been recorded correctly in the name of Furuchai Mog under JL No 34 and Daag No 5334/5481, 5335/5493 of SA Khatian No 659 under Latachapali Mouza of Kalapara upazila. According to the land records, the Buddhist temple is on 35 percent of the land while a graveyard for the Buddhist community and residential facilities for priests of the temple are on 64 percent of the land. 

There is a Buddha statue inside the temple that was established by the Rakhine community about 120 years ago.

But recently, Emang Talukder, chairman of the temple's management committee, with the help of a secretly reformed committee, unlawfully forged land documents and collected advance payments from an influential quarter in exchange for 25 decimals of the endowed land.

As a result, the claimants were making attempts to build structures on the piece of land, the petitioners said.

Asked, Emang Talukder claimed that the temple management committee, upon obtaining consent of the local Rakhine community, approved the sale of 25 percent of the endowed land to create fund for maintenance and renovation of the temple, and hence, the advance payment was registered accordingly.     

Contacted, Patuakhali Deputy Commissioner Kamal Hossain said they would take necessary steps in this regard following due investigation.