Grabber occupies forestland, sells a portion to another

Land grabbers have put a fence around a piece of forestland in Domar upazila under Nilphamari district and hung a signboard on a tree there, claiming ownership of the land belonging to forest department. PHOTO: STAR

A few people have occupied 51 decimals of forestland at Chhoto Rauta mouja under Domar forest range in the district allegedly through preparing fake documents.
Visiting the spot under Domar municipality on Sunday, this correspondent saw bamboo fencing around the land full of trees and signboards inscribing the names and addresses of Nazma Begum, and Solaiman Ali group, claiming ownership of 13 and 38 decimals of forestland respectively.
Solaiman Ali allegedly sold a portion of the occupied land to another person who made a brick-built house on it.
The then Pakistan government during the middle of last century acquired 2,803 acres of land in Domar and Dimla upazilas to create forest and varieties of trees including acacia (akashmoni), eucalyptus, garjon, babla, neem, jackfruit, mangoes, arjun, cane, and bamboo were planted there, said sources in Domar forest range.
But in 2010, Solaiman Ali group and Nazma Begum claimed ownership of 38 and 13 decimals of forestland in plot No 3010 under Chhoto Rauta mouja, showing two registration documents, said Abu Bakkar Khan, ranger of Domar forest range.
“The then forest department officials rejected the claim but occupants lodged case at a Nilphamari court claiming that the land is not shown in the government gazette,” he said.
Contacted by this correspondent, Solaiman Ali said, "According to CS and SA records the legal owners of the land having plot number 3010 were Monoranjon, Keshob Chandra and late Bhupendra Nath. We purchased the land from them in 2006 and performed mutation at Domar land office."
“Following a case filed by Nazma Begum on behalf of us in 2010, the court granted temporary injunction in favour of us. And so, we have fenced our area,” he added.
Sources, however, said forest officials concerned did not move the case properly and they did not even bring before the court the fact that the disputed land was part of a living forest.
Meanwhile, Ram Niwas Agorwala, secretary of Domar crematorium committee, on March 20 lodged a complaint with the mayor of Domar municipality, saying that Solaiman Ali group and others occupied plot number 3010 (aforesaid disputed land) although the land belong to the crematorium and there is genuine deed document regarding the matter.
"Monoranjon, Keshob Chandra and late Bhupendra Nath had plot No 2010 registered in favour of the crematorium in 1988 as their late father had verbally donated the land long ago," he mentioned in the complaint.
According to an understanding between the forest department and the crematorium committee a couple of years ago, forest department got possession of plot No 3010 to plant trees there while plots No 3008 and 3009, which actually belong to the forest department, are used for temporarily keeping the bodies before burning at the nearby cremation ground, said Ram Niwas Agorwala.
“We shall file case against illegal occupant Solaiman Ali and others if our rights are not protected," he added.