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Land for Biswa Ijtema 'mistakenly' reallocated

Rajuk sells 10 acres out to private universities, hospital, commercial outfits

Pinaki Roy
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha' (Rajuk) has reallocated 10 acres of Biswa Ijtema land in Tongi along the Tbrag river to set up commercial establishments, two private universities and a hospital sparking resentment among the Ijtema organisers.
In 1991, the government permanently allocated 160 acres of land -130 acres on the east and 30 acres on
the west bank of the river — for holding the Biswa Ijtema, the second largest annual congregation of Muslims after Hajj.
But Rajuk recently created 12 plots on 10 acres of land on the west bank and sold them to different people for raising permanent structures, sources said.
"We want our land back," said Abdullah (not his real name), a member of the Ijtema committee.
He said the government must stop allocating land on the Ijtema ground to maintain normal flow of the river and protect environment
When contacted, Rejaul Karim Tarafder, member (estate) of Rajuk, said they are trying to find ways to get the land back to Ijtema committee.
"We have allocated the land mistakenly and now we are talking with the people and Institutions to exchange the land with some other plots. But we can not pressurise them as we have already taken money for the land," he said.
The International University for Business and Agricultural Technology (IUBAT) has already built a four-storeyed building on their allocated land while others have demarcated their plots and laid foundation stones there.
The commercial plot allocation by the Rajuk along the riverbank has encouraged some locals to fill up a vast arcaonboth the banks.
"If they fill up the places the river will die and it would be a great problem for us in the long run and it may create permanent water-logging on the Ijtema ground," said one of the Ijtema organisers who is an engineer by profession.
Due to the carelessness of the government, local influential people have filled up TUrag river at different points from Aminbazar to Gazipur. And the part of the river near the Ijtema ground has turned into a narrow canal
While visiting the area, The Daily Star correspondent found a pile of sand and soil on the riverbank just opposite the Ijtema ground. Locals said one Golam Mohammad has filled up some land encircling the area with bamboo poles.
But Golam Mohammad claimed it as his ancestral land. He said his family owns the land for more than 50 years and they have all original documents.
"As the Ijtema committee developed the land putting soil on the other side of TUrag, the river has changed its course to move towards my land,"he said.
"I have not encroached any land rather Rajuk has acquired 20 bighas of my land without fully paying me for it," added Golam Mohammad. He said he had filed a case against Rajuk in this connection and the case is still pending in the court.
The locals also mentioned the names of some other people including Hashem chairman, Manik Mia, Razzak, Nasiruddin and Lehajuddin who allegedly started filling up the river opposite the Ijtema ground. But they could not be contacted for comments.
Mohammad Kamruzzaman, a local contractor who Introduced himself as a nephew of Hashem chairman, was supervising the riverbank filling work. He told The Daily Star that they were filling up their own land.
But the Rajuk member (estate) said he has requested the deputy commissioner's office to make the river free from the encroachers at that point. He said there was no private land along the river.