Occupying forestland by building a wall

RF Builders, a real-estate firm appointed by a group called Prabartak Sangha, is constructing a boundary wall in a disputed land in Prabartak area under Panchalaish of Chattogram, despite a stay order issued by the High Court.

According to forest officials, the area is a protected forestland.

The High Court on September 1, 2022, stayed construction of any establishment on the disputed land for six months, said Abdul Malek, ranger of the Chattogram North Forest Division's city range.

During a visit to the place on February 10, this correspondent saw that around 15 workers were building a boundary wall in the disputed area. However, none of the workers agreed to speak to this reporter.

Juwel Dey, a security guard next to the land, told The Daily Star that officials of the RF builders and Prabartak Sangha often come here to supervise the construction works.

Abdul Malek told The Daily Star that the land is a protected forest. But Prabartak Sangha grabbed the land illegally many years ago. Authorities of the Chattogram North Forest Division filed a case against Prabartak Sangha in 2016 and also applied to the court for a stay order on this land.

Soon after, a Chattogram court gave a stay order on this land that year, he said.

However, another court of Chattogram revoked the status quo in 2019, following an appeal by Prabartak Sangha. The Forest Department then appealed to the High Court against the withdrawal order. After a long hearing, the High Court ordered a stay order on the disputed land last year.

"But Prabartak Sangha didn't obey the order and they have illegally occupied the government property," said Mozammel Hoque Shah Chowdhury, divisional forest officer of the Chattogram North Forest Division.

We have already informed the police station in writing about the construction of the wall in violation of the stay order of the court, he added.

Contacted, Indu Nandan Dutta, president of the Prabartak Sangha, claimed that they had nothing to do with the construction works.

However, Kamrul Hasan Bacchu, managing director of the RF builders, said,"We are building a boundary wall in that land as we have many valuable resources there."

Advocate Rabi Shankar Chowdhury, a retainer of the forest division of Chattogram, said, "Disobeying the stay order is a contempt of court. We have already advised the forest department to bring the matter to the attention of the court."

According to data from the forest department, the Calcutta gazette issued in 1934 by the Forest department recorded the land as forestland.

But later, the 8.33 acres land was mistakenly recorded in the name of Prabartak Sangha in Bangladesh Survey (BS), claimed Mozammel Hoque Shah Chowdhury.

A case is going on in the court regarding the disputed land. The court will decide who owns this land and we are waiting for the court's verdict, said Indu Nandan Dutta, president of the Prabartak Sangha.