The son of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam has been implicated in an attempt to grab land in Chittagong owned by 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.
Local Awami League activists attack workers of Dohazari Kazi Poultry Limited, owned by Kazi Farms, in Chittagong’s Chandanaish yesterday, as part of Expatriates’ Minister Nurul Islam’s son Mujibur Rahman’s bid to grab the land. Photo: Dhaka Tribune
In the most recent incident, Mujibur's men injured seven Dohazari Kazi Poultry staff members including General Manager Major (Retd) Sheikh Masumul Hasan on Wednesday morning.
Masumul Hasan said he had deployed six guards on Wednesday morning after seeing Mujibur's men taking position in nearby areas.
He said the police had been informed before the attack began but reached the site afterwards.
“At about 9:30 am, several hundred people equipped with sticks and other weapons launched an attack. I was hit on the head but escaped major injury because I was wearing a helmet,” he said, adding that he had sustained injuries to the hands.
Six other employees of the farm were also injured in the attack.
Nasir Member, one of Mujibur's men, led the attack, Masumul Hasan said, adding that Nasir had led several previous attacks on the farm and its staff.
Gazi Mohammed Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Chandanaish police station, said the police went to the spot after receiving news of the violence. “We asked both sides to settle the matter through arbitration.”
On May 21 and May 24 last year, the same group attacked and vandalised Dohazari Kazi Poultry, 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, police station sources said.
According to the GD, Dohazari Kazi Poultry Limited had purchased 113 acres of land from Sanwara Poultry and Hatchery Limited, Dohazari – owned by AL leader Minister Nurul Islam – two years ago, maintaining all the proper formalities.
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 continued: “Sanwara Group is encouraging lawlessness in the area and preventing us from carrying out construction work.
“They have previously blocked the entrance gate to the farm, claiming we had not purchased the gate area.
“They even put all of 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 Limited despite repeated attempts to contact them by mobile telephone.
