Fear of musclemen’s attack has griped over 5,000 farmers in char areas of Bhola as harvest of aman approaching fast.
Proshanto Kumar Saha, deputy director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), said “The aman paddy has been cultivated on 87,000 hectares of land this year with a production target 80,000 tonnes.”
Local sources said the production of the paddy was satisfactory as weather was fine as well as farmers got saplings and fertiliser in time.
But farmers of Charanada, Ilisha Char, Baghmara, Char Chatkimara, Char Hossain, Majherchar and Pata Bheduria in Sadar upazila, Char Samiruddin, Char Samsuddin and Patar Char in Lalmohon upazila, Dhalchar, Char Kalmi and Mujibnagar Sikdarer Char in Charfassion upazila and charpeople of Monpura upazila have become afraid as the hoodlums are roaming around their areas under the shelter of ruling party leaders.
The farmers of Mujibnagar union under Charfassion upazila has a longstanding dispute with the farmers of Patuakhali due to demarcation problem.
UNO Rezaul Karim said: “We have already taken steps to resist the attack of the goons.”
“Demarcation problem with Patuakhli district of the union council will be solved soon,” he said.
Abdul Mannan, owner of a land in Bheduria Char area, said: “Last year, the goons, led by ruling party men had looted the paddy of my land.”
“I informed the incident to the authority. But no action has been taken,” said Mannan.
Though police camps were set up in several areas, the criminals looted the paddy with the help of the police.
Kamaluddin Chowdhury, managing director of Manpura Dempire Agriculture and Dairy Farm, said ruling party men had looted the paddy of poor farmers with the help of the police at Dhalchar camp.
The picture of maximum areas in the charland was the same, he said.
“When media men come to cover the news, the people do not dare to speak due to the attack of the musclemen,” he said.
Farmer Shantu Chowdhury said the hoodlums had looted my paddy cultivated on 12 acres of land.
When contacted, Superintendent of Police Moniruzzaman said:“I have been noticed the incident. We have a plan to set up more police camps in risky areas.”
Deputy Commissioner Md Selim Reza said he had already ordered the administration to take action immediately.