Illegal land grabbing continues to be among the most sinister issues in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is a fairly small country in terms of area, and given our high population density, there is limited space. Even then, due to the nature of this issue, people are forced out of their lands and homes, and their lands are occupied by powerful and influential criminals. The government isn’t safe from land grabbers as well, as huge portions of government land are often seized and occupied for years and even decades.
Thus, it is extremely good to see that, recently, the government reclaimed about 5,512 acres of land from illegal occupants, land that is valued at around TK 3,000 crore.
Due to illegal land grabbing, underprivileged and people of minority groups are often deprived of their hard-earned property and driven out of their localities. Experts even surmise that property grabbing is a major incitement behind communal violence in villages.
Aside from that, the environmental footprint of land grabbing is big as well. From the occupation of river banks that lead to river erosion, to housing illegal brick kilns, to occupation of hilly regions that lead to mountain slides that kill many people during monsoon, land grabbing is a blight that continues to wreak havoc across the nation.
The recent government crackdown shows that land grabbers are not invincible, and it is indeed possible to fight back. Taking lessons from this measure, the government would do well to set up a special division if need be and set them to work throughout the country. Bangladesh can do so much more if this issue can be eradicated once and for all.
