Crop damage on the rise due to enmity in Kurigram
Kurigram Correspondent
Heinous crimes like crop damage are increasing due to enmity in Kurigram. Due to village politics, financial losses, livestock food and the state are also being harmed. Those concerned are demanding exemplary punishment after proper investigation.
It can be seen on the spot that Faruk Islam is the son of the late freedom fighter Nazir Hossain of Gorai Munshipara village of Durgapur union in Ulipur upazila of the district. He cultivated Boro this year on 55 percent of the land he inherited from his father.
The crop is also very good. Farmer Faruk was dreaming of bringing home ripe paddy after a few days. But on April 12, in the dark of night, a group of miscreants destroyed the entire crop of the land by spraying weed killers on the land. At that time, the miscreants also stole the farmer's irrigation pump. In addition to financial losses, the application of poisonous substances has resulted in the loss of cow fodder. This family is now in despair because they took loans from NGOs to cultivate it.
The same picture is of poor farmer Habibur Rahman, a resident of Sholagari village in Bidyananda union of Rajarhat upazila of the district. He has cultivated Boro on 40 percent of the land this season with his own savings and loans. On the night of April 25, the entire crop was destroyed by spraying herbicides on semi-ripe rice. While everyone is busy harvesting rice, Habibur Rahman is going door to door hoping for justice. It is known that this has happened before due to land-related enmity. The couple is now worried about the crop loss.
Farmer Faruk Islam said, "I have cultivated Boro on 55 percent of my land with an NGO loan. Just when it was time to harvest the paddy, my opponents destroyed the crops of my land due to a family dispute. I have lost 30 maunds of paddy, including straw for cow feed. I am worried about whether I will repay the loan or run the family with my old mother. I have filed a case in the court regarding this. I want justice."Habiur Rahman, a farmer from Sholagari village, said, "They burned 40 percent of my ripe paddy with herbicide. The opponents did this because of a land dispute. They also damaged the crops of one and a half acres of my land in 2022. A case is pending in court regarding that. I have filed a complaint this time too. I have also taken loans to cultivate it myself. Now that the paddy has been destroyed, I am worried about repaying the loan."Rahidul Islam, a resident of the same area, said, "I have the land papers. Habibur has no land. I cultivated this land. There is a video of me planting paddy on the land with my wife, children and brother. I planted mustard before planting paddy. They took some of that too. They had destroyed the paddy in the land before that too. We were made the accused there. He also said that he had not made any complaint about the destruction of paddy this season."Local residents Bulbuli Akhtar, Ramzan, Mujibar said that neighboring farmers are also in trouble due to the theft of irrigation pumps. Rice cultivation has been somewhat disrupted due to the inability to water the land at the right time. Although there is a dispute regarding land ownership, the neighbors are not able to accept such hostility over the crops. Locals demand a proper investigation and exemplary punishment for the culprits who have caused such damage to the state.Bidyananda UP Chairman Tajul Islam said, the land dispute between Habibur and Rahidul is a long-standing one. The union council and local dignitaries met more than 15 times for a resolution. But it was not possible due to village politics. Currently, the land and crop damage cases are pending in the court. We demand exemplary punishment for those who damaged the crops. May no one show such courage in the future.Kurigram Agriculture Department Assistant Deputy Director Asaduzzaman said, heinous crimes like damage to various crops including paddy, betel nut, banana trees have increased in Kurigram due to family disputes. In the current Boro season, 150 hectares of semi-ripe Boro paddy has been destroyed in Ulipur, Rajarhat and Bhurungamari upazilas of the district. Those concerned believe that such crimes will decrease if crop damage cases are settled quickly.
The same picture is of poor farmer Habibur Rahman, a resident of Sholagari village in Bidyananda union of Rajarhat upazila of the district. He has cultivated Boro on 40 percent of the land this season with his own savings and loans. On the night of April 25, the entire crop was destroyed by spraying herbicides on semi-ripe rice. While everyone is busy harvesting rice, Habibur Rahman is going door to door hoping for justice. It is known that this has happened before due to land-related enmity. The couple is now worried about the crop loss.
Farmer Faruk Islam said, "I have cultivated Boro on 55 percent of my land with an NGO loan. Just when it was time to harvest the paddy, my opponents destroyed the crops of my land due to a family dispute. I have lost 30 maunds of paddy, including straw for cow feed. I am worried about whether I will repay the loan or run the family with my old mother. I have filed a case in the court regarding this. I want justice."Habiur Rahman, a farmer from Sholagari village, said, "They burned 40 percent of my ripe paddy with herbicide. The opponents did this because of a land dispute. They also damaged the crops of one and a half acres of my land in 2022. A case is pending in court regarding that. I have filed a complaint this time too. I have also taken loans to cultivate it myself. Now that the paddy has been destroyed, I am worried about repaying the loan."Rahidul Islam, a resident of the same area, said, "I have the land papers. Habibur has no land. I cultivated this land. There is a video of me planting paddy on the land with my wife, children and brother. I planted mustard before planting paddy. They took some of that too. They had destroyed the paddy in the land before that too. We were made the accused there. He also said that he had not made any complaint about the destruction of paddy this season."Local residents Bulbuli Akhtar, Ramzan, Mujibar said that neighboring farmers are also in trouble due to the theft of irrigation pumps. Rice cultivation has been somewhat disrupted due to the inability to water the land at the right time. Although there is a dispute regarding land ownership, the neighbors are not able to accept such hostility over the crops. Locals demand a proper investigation and exemplary punishment for the culprits who have caused such damage to the state.Bidyananda UP Chairman Tajul Islam said, the land dispute between Habibur and Rahidul is a long-standing one. The union council and local dignitaries met more than 15 times for a resolution. But it was not possible due to village politics. Currently, the land and crop damage cases are pending in the court. We demand exemplary punishment for those who damaged the crops. May no one show such courage in the future.Kurigram Agriculture Department Assistant Deputy Director Asaduzzaman said, heinous crimes like damage to various crops including paddy, betel nut, banana trees have increased in Kurigram due to family disputes. In the current Boro season, 150 hectares of semi-ripe Boro paddy has been destroyed in Ulipur, Rajarhat and Bhurungamari upazilas of the district. Those concerned believe that such crimes will decrease if crop damage cases are settled quickly.
