Protesting Santals in Rangpur seek return of land

The Santals of Rangpur held a procession demanding restoration of the illegally occupied land of a Santal village near the Satmatha Railgate of the city, on Wednesday afternoon.

The procession formed a human chain and held a meeting in front of the district commissioner's office after marching through the main road of the city.

Indigenous leader and resident of the Santal village, Swapan Roy, presided over the meeting and the speakers were Sramik Odhikar Andolon convener Palash Kanti Nag, Santal village resident Gyanram Roy, Swapan, Jyotish, Purnima, and journalist Saifullah Khan.

The speakers said the locally influential land grabber, Abul Kalam Miah, leased 13 of the 44 decimals of khas land leased by the Santals since the liberation of Bangladesh, by providing misinformation to the district administration.

Land grabber Abul Kalam forcibly built buildings and nurseries and sold five decimals of land illegally.

Abul Kalam threatened the Santals with assault and false cases every time they tried to retrieve their rightful land, said one of the speakers.

The Santals did not get any help even after complaining to the police, mayor, and local councillor.

The speakers demanded the cancellation of the lease on the 13 decimals of land, and the return of the illegally occupied land.