Staff Correspondent, Narayanganj

In Araihazar upazila of Narayanganj, 23 acres of land worth Tk 60 crore that had been under illegal possession for 70 years have been recovered through the intervention of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mia. Fearing deadly clashes and loss of life over the land, the DC took several initiatives to resolve the crisis peacefully and recover the land.

Following reports from union land officials, surveyors, kanungos, and the assistant commissioner (Land), as well as recommendations from the UNO,  the DC included the land in government khas records under the State Acquisition and Tenancy Act, 1950. After the recovery, the district administration decided to establish a scenic eco-park on the land.

Locals expressed relief over the recovery and the eco-park project, welcoming the DC’s initiative.

It is learned that about 23 acres of land beside the Narayanganj–Brahmanbaria road, adjacent to Bishnandi ferry terminal in Araihazar upazila, had been illegally occupied since 1947. After the partition of India, the Hindu owners migrated to India, and in the absence of proper management, hundreds of local families started farming the land. In 2020, men of former Awami League lawmaker Nazrul Islam Babu took the land from the farmers and began illegal sand trading. Later, on August 5, local BNP leaders and activists also grabbed the land, raising fears of violent clashes.

After receiving reports of these developments, DC Zahidul Islam issued strict orders to Araihazar upazila administration to ensure not an inch of land remained encroached. He instructed officials to initiate the process of recording the land under khas as ownerless property.

Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Araihazar, Naeem Uddin, said, “All claimants were asked to submit documents. After a public notice and hearings, it was found that all ownership claims were fake. I submitted the findings to the UNO in a report.”

UNO S.K. Md. Mamunur Rashid forwarded the file to the DC, who on Tuesday (September 16) signed the official order to include the land under Khas Khatian No. 1.

DC Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mia said, “We have decided to build a scenic eco-park here on behalf of the district administration. This will ensure the land is never encroached again. Locals will also benefit economically through tourism facilities.”

Local residents Abdul Hamid, a teacher at Bishnandi Government Primary School, and Matiur Rahman, president of Bishnandi Ferryghat Jame Mosque and Madrasa management committee, said, “Our fathers and grandfathers farmed this land. But in 2020, former MP Nazrul Islam’s men forcefully grabbed it from us. If the government builds an eco-park, we have no objection. We only want assurance that influential people will never grab it again.”