Staff Reporter :
Nazmul Islam, an expatriate, has fallen victim to a group of organised land grabbers and extortionists in Bhaluka, Mymensingh. He has lodged complaints regarding the matter with the Home Affairs Advisor and law enforcement authorities.
According to the complaint, approximately 20 years ago, Nazmul purchased 35 acres of clear, walled land in Amtali, Hobirbari Union, Bhaluka Upazila, with the intention of establishing an industrial facility. After completing the purchase, he followed due procedures, including registration, tax payments, and appointing a caretaker for the property.
The local forest department claimed ownership of a portion of the land under Plot No. 154. In 2006, Nazmul filed a complaint with the Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Bhaluka. Following an investigation by a surveyor and the preparation of a sketch map, the Assistant Commissioner determined that the land was not part of the forest area and recommended its release from the forest notification. This recommendation was sent to the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) and the Forest Settlement Officer in Mymensingh.
However, in 2007, the forest department appealed the decision to the Dhaka Divisional Additional Commissioner. After reviewing all documents, including the earlier rulings and reports, the appellate authority upheld the decision to exclude the land from the forest notification and dismissed the forest department’s appeal.
In 2017, the local forest officer Ashraful Alam started harassing Nazmul after failing to extract a significant bribe. Despite prior court orders, the harassment continued, prompting Nazmul to file a writ petition in the High Court in 2018. The High Court issued an injunction, stating that the status quo must be maintained until the dispute was resolved.
In 2022, allegedly the local land grabber syndicate, led by Abu Jafar Sarkar and aided by Awami League-aligned criminals, partnered with forest officer Ashraful Alam to seize the land. In 2023, they staged an operation to “reclaim forest land” under the pretext of planting trees, violating the High Court’s 2018 directive.
The land’s caretakers were allegedly assaulted at least six times, even being driven off at gunpoint.
On November 18, 2023, under the pretext of cleaning the land, three caretakers of Nazmul were abducted. However, they were released three hours later following swift intervention by army officials, Colonel Mahmud and Major Noman. Subsequently, Nazmul filed a formal complaint with the military authorities against forest officer Ashraful Alam, accusing him of abduction and extortion.
When tried to contact with forest officer Ashraful Alam, he repeatedly failed to receive phone calls in different times, and even responded the text messages sent to his cell phone.
