A complaint has been received that soil from cropland was being cut and sold indiscriminately in the dark of night in Anwara, Chittagong, without paying attention to the rules.
The landowner alleged that this influential gang is forcibly taking away the soil without informing the landowner. On Friday morning, the police arrested an excavator and its driver from the scene after receiving information about the illegal cutting of soil.The complaint in this incident is against Zahir Alam, the joint convener of the Bairag Union Volunteer Party of the upazila, and his associate Mohammad Syed. The soil was being cut since Thursday night, and the real owner of the land, Saiful Alam, immediately informed the Bandar Police Outpost after learning about the matter.
Abdullah Al Noman, in-charge of the Bandar Police Outpost, said that the police went to the spot immediately after receiving the complaint.
Sensing the presence of the police, the main masterminds of the land grabbing, Zahir and Syed, fled, but the excavator was seized and the driver was arrested red-handed. The process of taking the arrested driver and the seized excavator to the police station is underway. Further action will be taken as per the law. Landowner Saiful Alam alleged that the 38th century land next to the crematorium in the Uttar Bandar area of the upazila belongs to him. Since Thursday night, Zahir and Syed have been cutting the soil of that land and moving it elsewhere by using political influence. When we talk about this, they threaten and intimidate the people of the land owner.Environmental disaster has occurred as influential people forcibly cut the soil without informing the land owner. Meanwhile, the Land Prevention and Remediation Act states that illegal soil grabbing, whether or not it causes any damage to nature, will also be considered a crime and there is a provision for imprisonment from two years to 6 months and a fine of two lakh taka.
This law can be enforced through mobile courts.Admitting the fact of cutting the soil, accused Zahir Alam said, "The soil was cut from there to fill the low-lying land of another person. However, he did not know whose land it was."Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Deepak Tripura said, "After receiving a complaint from the owner of the damaged land, the driver along with the excavator were arrested from the scene and taken into police custody.
They will take further legal action."Karnaphuli Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shahinur Alam said, "We will verify the complaint and take action."
