Two people are claiming ownership of a college lake in Gopalganj’s Kashiani upazila, almost 69 years after their ancestors had allegedly donated it to the college.
They have already demarcated a bigger part of one-and-a-half-acre lake of Ramdia Government SK College.
Loacals say the Water and Power Development Authority was digging a canal just past the college in 1945, when its course was detoured to save the education institute from erosion, leading to the creation of the L-Shape Lake there.
The local Union Parishd firstly used to maintain the lake, but later the lake was handed over to the college authority, taking in view its utility for the college that it earns at least Tk 1lakh by leasing it out each year.
The college authority has decided to lease out this lake on June 3, but getting in its way, influentials Hamidullah Al Bablu and Tutul Mia are now claiming the ownership of the lake by demarcating it with bamboos and pillars.
They have never before claimed the ownership of this lake. Even this property was not in their possession. But now they are trying to grab it, the locals say.
They say the college has just 68 decimals of the lake land recorded in its name. Taking advantange of this, Hamid and Tutul have had the rest of the lake recorded in their names.
They add that the land had also never been owned by any individual before this lake came up there. Besides this, many people have built their houses and other installations filling up parts of the lake.
Hamidullah, claiming that the college authority tried to record it in its name but failed, says “This lake is ours, but we have not lived off it since it was created in 1940s. Besides this, we have had this lake recorded during Bangladesh Survey (BS) in 1994.
We have now come to take it in our possession because we want to fill it up but there has been a dispute about. To resolve this, we will sit in a meeting with the college authorities and local elders.”
Environment activist Bidhan Chandra Tikadar said, “The rivers, canals, lakes and ponds are the sources of water. Water crisis will emerge if they are filled up. So, grabbing and filling-up of water bodies have to be stopped.”
Ramdia Government SK College Balai Chand Dey said, “We have notified the upazila nirbahi officer and assistant commissioner (land) about it. Besides this, we will sit in a meeting about this on June 9, when they will also be present.”
