BANGLADESH NEWS
A group of people allegedly led by a local leader of ruling Awami League (AL) have continued their occupation of valuable lands of Public Works Department (PWD) in Bhatar Khal area of the city years after expiry of lease contract for the land.
Making the situation worse, the group on Friday morning broke the boundary wall of PWD office and started construction work to add 20 decimals of PWD land to their occupied portion.
Following complaint from PWD officials, police visited the spot, but did not take any action to evict the illegal occupiers from PWD land worth about 8 crore taka, said Barun Kumar Biswas, sub-divisional engineer of PWD Barisal sub-division.
"Taking lease of PWD land outside the office boundary wall, some people made makeshift shops and have been doing business there for the last 15/20 years. When the tenure of that lease expired in 2006, PWD decided not to renew the lease contract and asked them to vacate the premises. But the former lessees continued doing business on that land illegally," he said.
Hearing about their breaking the PWD wall on Friday morning, PWD officials rushed to the spot and sought help from police to save the official property.
On Friday night, Barisal City Corporation (BCC) Mayor Shawkat Hossain Hiron, also city Awami League convenor, visited the spot and asked the two parties to maintain status quo and settle the matter through negotiation.
He also asked the PWD authorities to withdraw their complaint with the police, saying that he will see the matter, said PWD officials and Kotwali police.
However, a PWD official seeking anonymity said they had to withdraw the complaint about land grabbing under pressure.
During local journalists' visit to the spot on Friday noon, the construction workers employed by alleged land grabbers said Mohiuddin Ahmed Khokan, president of ward No 10 and convening committee member of city AL is leading the act.
Asked about the matter, AL leader Khokan claimed that at least 16 legal leaseholders of PWD land are doing business there and they have continued depositing the lease money till date.
Recently BCC authorities asked them to vacate the land for expanding road and so, they started transferring their shops behind the PWD boundary wall after taking 'informal approval' from the authorities concerned and 'leaders', Khokan claimed.
Matiur Rahman, officer in charge (investigation) of Barisal Kotwali police station, said on Friday afternoon, "After receiving the allegation of land grabbing from PWD authorities, police visited the spot and stopped construction work there. Further action will be taken after investigation."
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