Galachipa (Patuakhali) Correspondent

Landless farmers of Charbangla are facing off over the demand for one year lease of  Khas land in Galachipa, Patuakhali. Both sides have been claiming that they are truly landless.

On Wednesday (August 13) at 10 am, President of Charbangla Bittaheen Samabay Samity Limited Md. Seraj Khan held a press conference at Galachipa Press Club demanding one year  DCR for cultivable Khas land.

At the press conference, he claimed that there are about 2,000 acres of cultivable Khas land in Charbangla of Charbiswas Union of Galachipa Upazila. 

On the other hand, there are 998 landless people in the association. He demanded that the administration provide settlement to the members of the association for all these cultivable Khas land.  On the other hand, another party, who is not a member of the Char Samiti, formed a human chain in front of the Upazila Land Office on Monday (August 11) demanding that they be given Eksana settlement, claiming that they are landless. The landless farmers of Charbangla have now taken a stand against this.

The press conference held at the Galachipa Press Club was attended by the general secretary of Charbangla Bittohin Samabay Samity Limited, Md. Mujibar Rahman, vice president Md. Harun Hawlader, treasurer Shafiqul Islam, member Faruk Mir, among others.

The president of the association, Md. Seraj Khan, said at the press conference, "Charbangla Bittohin Samabay Samity Limited, Reg. No. 74, P.D. has 998 members. Out of these, about four hundred members have been living on Charbangla government khas land for about 30 years and have been earning a living by farming and fishing.

He further said, "Although we are entitled to agricultural khas land as per government policy, some local and foreign land grabbers from the jotdar class are trying to evict us and occupy the land. When they tried to evict us by misleading the Assistant Commissioner (Land) Galachipa and taking permission for cultivation of our occupied government khas land, we approached the  High Court. 

The High Court ordered the government to issue EKSA DCR to the members of the association and issued an order canceling the cultivation permits of the illegal occupiers. We want the implementation of this order soon." He further said, "Some people from Char Bangla led by Anwar Hawladar, Mannan Pyada, Rafiq Sardar, Sohel Sardar, Jalal Mridha, Moazzem Member, Jasim Pyada claimed that they were landless and formed a human chain in front of the Galachipa Upazila Land Office last Monday. 

They called me and the members of the executive committee of Charbangla Bankless Farmers Cooperative Association land grabbers. I strongly protest and condemn the statement of the said human chainers. In fact, the human chainers are land grabbers and squatters, so I request the concerned to bring them under the law.