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Disputes over Tarapur Tea Estate in Sylhet

Aggrieved locals declare Ragib Ali unwanted

Our Correspondent, Sylhet
Businessman Ragib Ali was declared persona non grata yesterday by people living in and adjacent to a land of Tarapur Tea Estate, which is an endowment property, in Sylhet from a demonstration against a July 31 order of the district administration to cut utility service connections to the area.
They urged the authorities not to sever their utility connections, which were supposed to be cut off by August 13 as per the notice.
Denying a January 19 order of the Supreme Court that asked them to remove their houses and other struc-
tures from there, they demanded compensation from Ragib as he allegedly cheated them by selling lands of the endowment property to them.
Ragib reportedly grabbed the tea estate through forging the land ministry's official documents.
Earlier on August 7, the residents formed a human chain under the banner of "Amra Sylhetbashi" at Pathantula in the city to press home their demands.
Sithil Dey, a protester, said, "We declared Ragib persona non grata in the area. He cheated us... We demand compensation from him, as the administration ordered us to leave our
purchased properties."
Local city councillor lliasur Rahman Ilias and former city councillor Jagadish Chandra Dash were also present in yesterday's demonstration, supporting their causes.
Asked, Ratan Kumar Biswash, chief engineer of Sylhet regional distribution centre of Bangladesh Power Development Board, said, "We have got the notice to sever the electricity connections and are waiting now for next directions from the district administration to execute the order."
Asked about gas lines, Fazlul Haque, manager of the regional distribution office (north) of Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution Systems Ltd, said, "We have not taken any action yet though the deadline is over, since we are waiting for further directions."
In 1915, the 422.96-acre land of the tea estate was endowed by its owner. Ragib and his son Abdul Hai reportedly grabbed the land in 1990 by forging the land documents and later established medical colleges and other infrastructures there.
They also sold out at least 150 plots.
In 2005, Sylhet Sadar land commissioner, however, filed a case with Sylhet Kotwali Police Station, accusing Ragib and some others.
On August 10 this year, Ragib, the land’s Shebayet (caretaker) Pankanj Kumar Gupta, who is also indicted in the case, and the others fled to India to avoid arrest following an arrest warrant issued by a local court after the Police Bureau of Investigation had submitted a charge sheet to the court on July 10, confirmed Sugyan Chakma, additional superintendent of Sylhet district police.
Meanwhile, the district administration handed over 323 acres ofthelandtothe caretaker following a High Court order.