Leaders of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad on Tuesday protested against the eviction of five families of Koul national minority community from their ancestral land in Babudaing village under Godagari upazila in Rajshahi.
They formed a human chain at Shaheb Bazar Zero Point in Rajshahi city, demanding immediate rehabilitation of the evicted families and restoration of their land ownership.
Addressing the human chain, speakers alleged that the eviction had been carried out based on a one-sided court order without any prior notice from the administration.
As a result, the affected families lost their homes and belongings and were now living in makeshift shelters in bamboo groves, they alleged.
Rumali Hasda, one of the evicted residents, said that her family had been living on the land since 1998.
鈥榃e thought it was government khas land. Later, we came to know that the 77 decimals of land had originally been recorded in the names of three members of our Santal community鈥擳ilak Majhi, Dinu Majhi and Bhadu Majhi鈥攚ho no longer live in the area,鈥� she said.
Jatiya Adivasi Parishad president Ganesh Mardi said that the evicted land rightfully belonged to the Koul families.
鈥楿nder section 97 of the 1950 Tenancy Act, prior permission from the district administration is required to purchase land from indigenous people. However, no such permission was taken, and the land was allegedly registered in the name of a Hindu person to bypass the rule,鈥� he alleged.
Paribartan director Rashed Ripon alleged that the land of Koul families was snatched through forged deeds by a fraud-syndicate.
鈥榃e urge the administration to take immediate actions against the fraud syndicate and to return the Koul families their land,鈥� he said.
Rashed Ripon also said that if the government failed to provide the ethnic families security of their land and lives, they would disappear from the country soon.
The speakers demanded an immediate judicial inquiry into the alleged forgery and compensation for the affected families.
Among other, Jatiya Adivasi Parishad presidium member Kristina Biswas, general secretary Bimal Chandra Rajowar, vice-president Rajkumar Shaw, joint organising secretary Rupchand Ekka, freedom fighter Mahbub Jamal Qauderi, Barendra Unnyan Prochesta director Faizullah Chowdhury, Anagrasar Samaj Unnayan Sangstha executive director Sree Raj Kumar and advocate Habibur Rahman Hasibul spoke at the human chain.
聽According to the organisers, on October 27, five Koul families were evicted from 77 decimals of land they had been living on since 1998.
