Firoz Faraji Rangabali Patuakhali Correspondent:
Jahidul Islam, the Deputy Assistant Land Officer (Assistant Tehsildar) of Chhotabaishdia Union in Rangabali Upazila of Patuakhali, has been accused of threatening farmers and demanding extortion by obstructing the transportation of watermelons.
Local watermelon farmers allege that in order to facilitate transportation, watermelon farmers of Gahinkhali village of Chhotabaishdia union started marketing watermelons by waterways by setting up a temporary ghat this season. But on Tuesday afternoon, Land Deputy Assistant Officer Zahidul Islam went and stopped the farmers from transporting watermelons from that ghat. At the same time, he pressured them to transport watermelons from another ghat under his control adjacent to this ghat, which collects the proceeds of the khas collection. He threatened to take legal action if they did not comply. At one stage, the farmers also alleged that Land Deputy Assistant Officer Kazi Zahidul demanded a bribe of one lakh taka to transport watermelons from the ghat at the farmers' convenience.
Watermelon farmers made these complaints at a human chain organized at a temporary pier adjacent to the Gahinkhali launch pier around 5:30 pm in protest of this incident.
At the program, watermelon farmer Bashir Uddin of Gahinkhali village said, "As the canal is filled, we have taken permission from BIWTA to market watermelons by using a ghat here for our convenience. But Zahid Tahsildar came and forbade us from transporting watermelons from here. If we want to transport watermelons from here, we will have to pay him a fee of one lakh taka. In addition, the Tahsildar has also threatened to file a case against the farmers."
Several watermelon farmers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "We will transport watermelons from wherever is convenient for the farmers. But the tehsildar cannot force anyone to transport watermelons from a specific ghat. This is injustice, this is oppression."
When asked about this, the accused Chhotabaishdia Union Land Deputy Assistant Officer, Zahidul Islam, said, "There is a BIWTA ghat in Gonikhali and another ghat of the upazila administration. A syndicate has built a new ghat in the middle. I have gone to block this ghat. I said that you cannot build this new ghat. The matter of asking for money is not true."
In this regard, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Iqbal Hasan said, 'I am not aware of this. If any farmer files a written complaint, action will be taken against the mentioned officer.'
