Some officials of the Department of Environment have allegedly grabbed 71 decimal government land in the Genda area of Savar municipality.
According to land office sources, the government took the lead of 71 decimal khas land in the area 30 years ago.
Habibul Islam Amin, No 6 Ward councilor of the municipality, said some people, including 18 government officials of the department, set up the office of Sonali Housing Society Ltd near the land with the help some local influential people.
Kurshid Alam Bhuiyan, Tarikul Islam, Sawkat Ali, Nur Mohammad, Sanowar Hossain, Ali Akbar Khan, Abdul Wadud, Sharif Sahamim, and Mohammad Sawkat Ali, members of the society, and also the government officials of the department grabbed the land by creating fake papers, said local businessmen Salauddin, Shiplu, and Faruk.
The businessmen alleged the children and youths could not play there as there was no playground.
The children used the land as a playground. But the grabbers erected a wall around the land and they could not play on it, they said.
Locals tried to protest against the grabbers, but the latters' hired goons tortured some protesters brutally, they added.
The society men also filed false cases against some youths in the area. Later, none dared to protest them, as they were connected to highly influential people.
When contacted, Ruhul Amin, president of the society, denied the allegation.
He also asked to communicate with the secretary of the society about the matter.
Sawkat Ali, general secretary of the society, said: “We registered the society in 1979, and set up the office in the area. But we are not involved in land grabbing.”
“We bought the land from its legal authority,” he said. When he was asked about the legal authority, he requested to communicate with the president of the society about this.
Savar Upazila Co-operative Officer Monira Akter said: “I have been informed that some officials have registered the land to build up the housing society. But I have not been informed about the land grabbing.” “After an investigation, I will take proper steps,” the officer said.
Land officer Taslima Khatun said: “The land is government property. If anyone tries to grab it, proper steps will be taken against him.”
When contacted, Assistant Land Commissioner Taslima Khatun said: “Legal steps will be taken after investigating the incident.”
