In Naogaon, 1,400 bighas of Hindu minority's Devottar property are under land grabbers' control—no one to intervene; administration remains silent!

In Naogaon, 1,400 bighas of Hindu minority's Devottar property are under land grabbers' control—no one to intervene; administration remains silent!
Photo: Uzzal Kumar Sarkar

Daily Bijoy News Naogaon Correspondent:

The fallen fascist, pro-India evil force, the lathi-wielding brigade of the Awami League, and the puppet illegal government's former Food Minister—the godfather of the area, a source of terror, and land grabber—Sadan Chandra Majumdar, along with his accomplices, have barred the priests of the Rajkhara Devottar Estate in Niamatpur-Manda from entering nearly 1,400 bighas of property belonging to the estate. They have been forcibly occupying and enjoying all the assets. Even after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, some land grabbers in the name of the BNP are attempting to seize the property in the same manner. These allegations were made by Ashok Roy Bappi (son of Amit Roy), the grandson of Kalipada Roy, the heir of the Niamatpur-Manda Rajkhara Estate.

All these properties belonged to the zamindars Kalipada Roy and Debipada Roy of Kusumba Manda. When the zamindari system was abolished in 1949, the government acquired all the zamindar's properties in 1951 under Chapter 4 of the EB Act No. 2, according to the Bengali year 1363. For the compensation assessment of the Devottar Estate, the Board of Revenue issued an order on June 15, 1972, and a compensation case (No. 250/75) was filed at the Rajshahi DC office. The case was resolved on June 6, 1979, and November 6, 1986, with the memo number Rajshahi DC Office 489, RM Branch, dated 5/7/1988.

Regarding the compensation settlement, the government, under memo No. 250/75//02/15/98 in the name of Shri Shri Joy Kali Mata, was directed by the High Court on October 2, 2002, to allocate 1,400 bighas of land from Khash Khatian No. 1 as per their preference. The High Court also instructed the authorities to take necessary measures. Among the 1,400 bighas, there are ponds, lakes, and cultivable lands. The High Court further ordered that the selected property be registered in the name of Shri Shri Joy Kali Mata, and rent collection should begin accordingly.

However, since 2011 until August 2024, Shri Shri Joy Kali Mata and Shri Shri Sarat Kali Mata have been unable to access these properties of the Devottar Estate—and still cannot. The High Court also directed the government to refrain from leasing out these properties officially. These lands are spread across almost every union in Niamatpur and Manda upazilas. Yet, despite all these years passing, the priests of the Devottar Estate have not been able to access any of the properties.

Ashok Roy Bappi further stated, "Whenever we try to reclaim the Devottar properties as per legal documents, the land grabbers threaten us in various ways—even with death threats." He added, "I earnestly appeal to the high command of the BNP to assist in justly recovering the Rajkhara Devottar Estate properties in the name of Shri Shri Joy Kali Mata. I hope they will take measures to prevent a repeat of the illegal occupation carried out by the previous government's collaborators. Otherwise, the reputation of a historic political party like the BNP will be tarnished due to a handful of land grabbers using its name."

Daily Bijoy News / Uzzal Kumar Sarkar