Residents of Munshiganj Sadar Upazila have complained that the dominant group in Bakchar of Adhara Union is illegally destroying crop land and extracting sand. Also, due to sand extraction, the local people fear that the soil in the homesteads and bapdadar houses will be lost in the river bed and become landless.
Going to the surface, it is known that there is privately owned and recorded land from the present river bank to 3300 feet of the river. Locals complain that the land under Khatian No. 1 from the administration is being leased as Balumhal, but the dominant group is cutting the sand beyond the specified boundary.
Hundreds of acres of crop land, soil and the birthplace of father and grandfather are in danger of being lost in the river and becoming landless.
The banks of the river can be seen in the dry season, but the banks of the river cannot be seen in the monsoon season. The victims also claim that the sand lifters cut sand from the entire land on this occasion. In addition, local residents said that dredges are being used to extract sand from the banks of the river in Bakchar area.
Local residents also said that it is not possible to extract sand from the place where the government has leased the sand palace. Because there is depth of water and lack of sand. Therefore, the land has to be selected for sand extraction. And using that opportunity in the dry and monsoon season, the influential circles are extracting sand. Influential circles have also complained of firing at the people of the area when the residents protested against the cutting of cropland and extraction of sand.
Akmal Bepari (42), Dulal Bepari (50) of Sikdarkandi village were shot dead when the local people protested. In that incident Piara Begum (50), wife of Muzalek Sikder, is living paralyzed due to bullet injury.
Chunnu Munshi of Bakchar area said that if the robbers take away the sand of the cropland, then the cropland and the soil will disappear under the river. We request the honorable Prime Minister to take action against them. We live by fishing and growing crops in this river. If the land of the village is looted by looters like this, then we cannot live happily and peacefully.
Farmer Abdul Hadi said, we are ordinary people, poor people. They don't care about us. They are big people. They understand their purpose only. They do not see the interests of the poor. In this way, if our land disappears into the womb of the river, then we will have nothing to do but sit on the road.
Delwar Hossain, a resident of Bakchar, said that their sand extraction site is in Char Abdullah. But they are crossing that boundary and extracting sand in Bakchar area. When we try to stop them, people run past and show fear.
Ahsan Ullah Khan, a resident of Bakchar, said, "We have planted onions in this pasture. Potatoes are boiling. This charre pat bainamu. Three to four crops are produced. If the fodder is cut like this, then no crop can be grown. how do we eat So I strongly demand to stop this sand cutting.
In this regard Adhara UP Chairman Md Sohrab Hossain said that if the lands of common people are cut day after day then they will lose their houses and land and become landless. People's lives will become difficult in livelihood. So such activities should be stopped.
Afsar Uddin Bhuiyan, chairman of Charkewar Union Parishad involved in sand extraction, said, "Does anyone do dredging on land?" The allegations made by the villagers are false. Dredging that we are doing in the river which we got this tender from Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Munshiganj in the name of M/s Vijay Traders. AC Land of Chandpur and Munshiganj has decided our boundary and we are extracting sand within that boundary.
When contacted Munshiganj Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Hossain Md Al Junayed, he said, I am not aware of the matter. Action must be taken if crop land is cut and sand is extracted in Bakchar.