Around 5.16 acres of government land worth about Tk 6 crore was recovered in a drive yesterday from illegal occupation in Saidpur municipality.

Saidpur upazila assistant commissioner (AC) of land led the drive in Dhalagas mouja.

AC Land Ashikur Rahman said the encroachers sold earth from the land to brick kilns and cultivated paddy there. They also illegally sold a portion of the land to a large industrial unit adjacent to the piece of land and were making preparations to sell the remainder of the land to the same buyer.

The encroachers are - Ziko Ahmed, former chairman of neighbouring Kamar Pukur Union Parishad; Ziko's brother; Motiar Rahman, former LGED upazila engineer of Sadar upazila; Abdul Mazid, a retired official of Saidpur land office; and one Aminul Islam, said the official.

Porimal Kumar Sarker, AC land in Saidpur, said although there had been some objections initially, the drive completed successfully.

"Red flags have been posted around the recovered land |to demarcate it and | to prevent trespassing," he added.

However, one of the encroachers, Aminul Islam, said they extended full cooperation to the government team during the drive.

Contacted, Saidpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer SM Golam Kibria said, "We're planning to rehabilitee impoverished landless people by settingup a housing project on the recovered land."