Shah Alam Jahangir, District Representative, Comilla
Work is underway to fill a pond measuring about one acre in size in the Borarchar Bazar area of Chaliakandi Union, adjacent to the Muradnagar-Elliottganj road in Muradnagar upazila of Comilla. This pond, which is several hundred years old, was used from morning till night for bathing, washing clothes, cleaning daily necessities, and immersion of Hindu idols, as well as for relieving waterlogging. A local influential land grabber group is forcibly filling the pond owned by the Hindu community by cutting soil from the nearby Gomti River char in the Subilarchar area.
Although a written complaint was filed with the Comilla District Commissioner on January 28, no visible action is being taken for invisible reasons. As a result, no one dares to speak out publicly against that influential land grabbing gang. And thus, the century-old pond is disappearing from the map of the upazila.
According to the complaint, the owner of the hundred-year-old pond, which is about one acre in plot number 23 and 24 of Borarchar Mouza in Muradnagar Upazila, is a local Hindu community. A local influential land grabber group led by Mojibur Rahman, son of the deceased Charu Mia of Subilarchar village, used influence and bought some parts of the pond from some owners at a nominal price. A few days ago, many old mehaguni, karai, and fruit trees of various species on the banks of the pond were cut down and are currently filling the entire pond with soil from the Gomti River char by truck.
When talking to locals, they said, on condition of anonymity, that an influential local land grabbing group is forcibly filling the pond without informing all the stakeholders of the pond. The pond is not only keeping the environment of the area clean, but is also directly helping thousands of people in the entire region with bathing and other household chores. We must preserve the pond for the survival of the entire locality!
They also said that an influential local land grabbing group is engaged in an evil conspiracy to forcibly fill this traditional pond, which will harm the local people.
In this regard, accused Mojibur Rahman said, "I am not filling the pond. Soil is being spread to plant trees on the banks of the pond. I do not cut soil from the Gomti River. The contractor cuts soil from the Gomti River and puts it in my brick kiln and pond. What can I do about it?"
Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Shakib Hasan Khan said, "I am not aware of the matter. I will look into the matter based on the letter from the DC's office."
