Construction on khas land, ignoring eviction case

A local influential man and his relatives construct this illegal structure on government land at Baher Char Bazar in Rangabali upazila town of Patuakhali district despite an eviction case filed by land office under trial in a court. Photo: Star

An influential man, who allegedly grabbed a khas land in Rangabali upazila town several years ago, is now building concrete structures there despite an eviction case filed by local land office is pending with a court.
Sources in the land office said Nawab Ali Talukder and his relatives erected a tin-roofed structure, grabbing 52 decimals of government land at Baher Char Bazar in the upazila town.
Failing to prevent Nawab Ali from capturing the land, local land office filed an eviction case with a Patuakhali case. Though the case is under trail, Nawab Ali and his relatives have started construction of illegal structures on the land.
Rangabali Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Md Nazrul Islam and staff of the land office have also raised objection to this illegal act, but to effect.
The UP chairman also filed a case against Nawab Ali on charge of grabbing the government land with Ranbagali Police Station on Friday. Police on the same day issued a notice, asking Nawab Ali to stop construction work on the land.
While visiting the the upazila town yesterday noon, this correspondent saw the masons and labourers engaged by by Nawab Ali and his relatives busy constructing structures on the government land, ignoring the notice issued by the police station.
“They have illegally occupied not only the khas land but also a portion of the adjacent road,” the UP said, adding that local administration should take immediate steps to save the land.
Oficer-in-Charge Md Masuduzzaman Ranbagali Police Station told the correspondent that he had issued a notice to the illegal occupiers on a complaint filed by the local UP chairman.
“I am sending a police team to stop construction of structures on the land,” the OC said.
Contacted, Nawab Ali Talukder said: “I am constructing shops on the land that I inherited from my father”.
Md Mahbub Alam, acting Assistant Commissioner of land (AC land) said lawful action will be taken against the grabbers of khas land.