Rajshahi Correspondent

Paba Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) has allegedly disobeyed the court order and blocked the road for harvesting crops of about 500 farmers in Rajshahi.

Homeless Housing Project is being constructed on unpaved road in Kadipur Mauza of Deshlapara village of Damkura union under Paba upazila in defiance of court order. Local farmers complained against UNO Losmi Chakma.

The farmers raised this complaint at a press conference at the Rajshahi Journalist Union office on Monday at 12 noon. In the press conference, they said that the 70th century land class of 1503 of Khatiat No. 1 of Kadipur Mauza is Dohar (dirt road). About 500 farmers take their crops home through this road. Building houses here will block their road. They will have to face extreme difficulties to bring home the crops of the land.

Golzar Hossain, Principal of a college in Pabar, read the written statement at the press conference. He also has land in that field. Last 03 months ago, a preliminary survey was done for the construction of houses for the landless on that unpaved road. Local farmers then told UNO that the land was included in SA and RS Khatian as dohar or dirt road. The road has been used by field farmers for a long time. If the road is closed, the farmers will suffer irreparable loss.

When the house construction started under the supervision of UNO 2 months ago, the local residents were upset. But no one stopped the construction of the house. On behalf of the local residents, I filed a case against the state in the Paba Senior Assistant Judge's Court, seeking to stop the house construction project in the public interest.

This case number is 226/2022. As the law makes it illegal to construct any house on the road, the petitioner issued an injunction to refrain from changing the nature of the plaintiff's property or building or permitting construction of houses on the plaintiff's property until the temporary injunction application is disposed of. The court issued this order on November 2. Following this order, UNO stopped the construction work. At present, one month winter vacation is going on in the Rajshahi Judge Court.

Taking this opportunity to advance the work of the project, the Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Abhijit brought the police in the presence of Sarkar and threatened us and restarted the work at that place. It amounts to complete contempt of court.”

He said, "The local people along with me ask the assistant commissioner (land), why are you working in disobedience of the court order?" Then he could not show any court order to resume work. We requested him to stop the work but he did not listen to us.

Now working. 12 houses are under construction there. The walls of some houses are very high. Those who will live in these houses themselves will not get a good way of movement. Again, the way of harvesting the crops of about 500 farmers in the field will be closed. They will be in extreme trouble.

It was informed in the press conference that written application has been submitted again by the farmers to the Divisional Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, UNO and AC Land to implement the court ban.

That didn't work either. Farmers went to Damkura for legal assistance for re-constructing houses in defiance of court orders. Police said no General Diary (GD) can be taken against UNO. Farmers are law-abiding. They want to solve it through law. He did not stop work for this.

Assistant Commissioner (Land) Abhijit Sarkar said, 'This is part of the program of providing houses for the landless. The land is still in the name of the government, under Khas Khatis. The work has been started by maintaining the criteria.' When asked whether the land type has been changed, he said, 'Yes, there is no problem.' He did not say when the class was changed.

Local farmers Ghiyas Uddin, Masdar Ali, Abdus Salam, Abdul Gafur, Abul Kalam, Golam Kabir and many others were present in the press conference.

When asked about the complaint on mobile phone, UNO Losmi Chakma said, "I don't remember anything now." I can tell you when I come to the office.