Forest Department accused of land grabbing in Bandarban

chtnews.com
News No. 99/2008, June 7, 2008

There are allegations that Forest Department officials have grabbed lands belonging to 130 Jumma families in Mrokyong Mouza under Rowangchari Upazilla of Bandarban district, reports Chattagram Manch, a Bengali language daily published from Chittagong.

In its 7 June issue the Manch further said the people of the area appealed to the Deputy Commissioner for redress (DC's receipt No. 3681 dated 28/4/08). "The Jumma people of Sonai Sepru Para under Mrokyong Mouza said they had been living on slash and burn cultivation in area for many generations", the report said, adding the Jummas have settlement documents pertaining to most of the lands in the area while a few lands still remains under process of settlement.

The report alleged that recently the Forest Department officials had been trying to create gardens after grabbing the Jumma people's lands. "The villagers lodged protest but the FD paid little heed to it."

It continued: "Our correspondent Thoaiching U Marma from Rowangchari adds: the Forest Department people have already cut and took away 50 to 60 teak trees from the garden of Sepu Aung Tonchongya. In the meantime, the villagers in an appeal to the Deputy Commissioner stated that about six hundred persons of 130 families would lose their means of subsistence as a consequence of the Forest Department taking away their lands. While contacted, Md. Zulfiqar, Officer of Bagmara Beat, refused to comment on the issue. The Divisional Forest Officer, Abul Monshur also refrained from making any comment."

"However, responsible sources in Forest Department said all these lands in Sonai Sepru Para belonged to Forest Department. The FD people did not occupy anybody's land. There is an attempt to create gardens in Forest Department's land" the report added.