The son of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam has been implicated in an attempt to grab land in Chittagong owned by Kazi Farms, one of the country’s biggest business organisations.
Instigated by Minister Nurul Islam’s son Mujibur Rahman, local Awami League activists have repeatedly attacked the staff of Dohazari Kazi Poultry Limited in Chittagong district’s Chandanaish upazila, the farm’s managing director said.
Mujibur Rahman is the managing director of competitor Sanwara Poultry and Hatchery Limited.
In the most recent incident, Mujibur’s men yesterday injured seven Dohazari Kazi Poultry staff members including General Manager Major (Retd) Sheikh Masumul Hasan.
“At about 9:30 am, several hundred people armed with sticks and other weapons launched an attack. I was hit on the head but escaped major injury because I was wearing a helmet,” Masumul said.
He said the police had been informed before the attack began but reached the site afterwards.
Six other employees of the farm were also injured in the attack, which was photographed by Kazi Farms staff.
The attackers shown in the pictures are Abu Sowdagor, son of Ishaque Fakir of Dohazari village; Solaiman, son of member Abu Sayed of Raijoara village; member Nuru of Dohazari village; Kefayet, son of member Nasir of Raijoara village; Nurul Kabir, son of Altaf Hossain of Hatiakhola village; Kaiser, son of A Alam of Barudkhana; and one Mohiuddin.
Two of the ringleaders, former member Nasirudin of Raijoara village and AKM Badsha Miah, son of Hachi Miah of Raijoara village, could not be photographed.
Gazi Mohammed Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Chandanaish police station, said: “We asked both sides to settle the matter through arbitration.”
On May 21 and May 24 last year, the same group vandalised the farm, leaving five staff members injured, police and farm sources said.
Abdul Motaleb Khan, legal affairs executive of Kazi Farms, lodged a general dairy (GD) with Chandanaish Police Station over the May 24 incident.
According to the GD, Dohazari Kazi Poultry Limited had purchased 113 acres of land from Sanwara Poultry and Hatchery Limited, Dohazari – owned by Awami League Minister Nurul Islam – two years ago.
The Dohazari Kazi Poultry general manger said: “The company that sold the land had about 320 acres in the area. But a huge portion of their land is mired in complex documentation.
“Our company bought only that land that had proper documents. Local brokers and ruling party men instructed by Mujibur are trying to force us to buy the rest of the land which is burdened by irregularities.
“To this end they have been attacking us and trying to grab part of the land we have already bought, which is very unexpected.”
He said: “Sanwara Group has prevented us from carrying out construction work. They previously blocked the entrance to the farm, claiming the gate area was not purchased. They even put all our office buildings under lock and key on a day in May last year while I was on leave.”
The Dhaka Tribune could not reach Sanwara Poultry and Hatchery Managing Director Mujibur Rahman despite repeated attempts to contact him by mobile telephone.