Srimangal (Moulvibazar) Representative //

A complaint has been received against a local influential person of Srimangal, Moulvibazar, of grabbing the land of a Chittagong businessman.

On Tuesday (October 1) at 11 a.m. in a press conference at the Srimangal Press Club, businessman Md. Jamdu Mia’s son of Pahartali, Chittagong. Salim Mia told reporters that Abidur Rahman Chowdhury Sohel, the owner of New Market in Shringal, has forcibly occupied his purchased land.
He said in his written statement that Abidur Rahman Chowdhury Sohel seized 86 percent of the land purchased by him by bringing people loaded with jeeps in the dead of night and attacking the watchman on his land.
Salim Mia said, “I bought 123 percent of land from Jasim Uddin Gong in the registry deed from Jasim Uddin Gong on November 29, 2023, in Mohazirabad Mauza, next to the Jannatul Ferdous Mosque road, to invest in the tourism sector here due to the beauty of Srimangal. 7018/23. Before purchasing the land, I discussed with Abidur Rahman Chowdhury, the businessman of Srimangal New Market, the owner of the land next to me. Although he did not object at that time, after buying the land, he first claimed 86 percent of the land in 2 spots and later occupied it. The District Police Superintendent staged dharna at various places to recover this land bought with an investment of crores of rupees. After the last anti-discrimination student movement, when an army camp was set up in Srimangal municipality, I lodged a complaint there. The army camp took cognizance of the complaint and summoned both the parties for hearing on the next day on August 14. The next day, in the presence of both parties, Srimangal instructed the municipal surveyor to review the documents of both parties. At one stage of the hearing, the army officer in charge spoke to the then Srimangal upazila chairman Bhanu Lal Roy on a mobile phone. After verifying the documents and listening to Bhanu Lal Roy’s statement, the army officer ordered Abidur Rahman Sohail to give up possession of the land. However, Abidur Rahman Chowdhury refused to give up possession of the land. The army then forwarded the complaint to the Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Lands) office to verify the ownership of the land. As a result of this, when both parties were summoned from AC land office to AC land office, the army officers and both parties appeared at AC land office, Mr. AC land said in the presence of everyone – After checking all the documents, he said that after reviewing all the papers, name and online rent, document marks, this is seen. The owner of the land. Salim Mia. Meanwhile, Abidur Rahman left Sohail on the pretext of various cases.
In the press conference, it was said, “In the face of continuous threats from the adversary, I filed a written complaint at Srimangal police station on September 1 and Moulvibazar army camp on September 2.” Abidur Rahman Sohail got angry and started harassing me and my business partners in various ways after hearing about the complaint. As a part of this, Abidur Rahman Chowdhury filed 2 separate cases against me in Moulvibazar court on the same day on September 4 with false allegations.
Md. Salim Mia complained, “Police-Srimangal police station did not investigate the complaint filed by me on 1st, but on 4th September, they started a quick investigation due to the case in my opponent’s court. In view of the case filed by the opponent, the court ordered the Srimangal police station to conduct an on-site investigation and submit a report by October 9. The investigating officer of this case is Srimangal police station SI. Kamrul Hossain applied to Srimangal Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) on September 17 to verify the real ownership of the land and give a report.
Salim Mia said at the press conference, “Srimangal Police Station SI Md. Kamrul Hossain applied to Srimangal Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) on September 17 to verify the real ownership of the land and give a report. After Semte Upazila Land Office submits the report regarding land ownership to the police station in due process, the investigation officer is supposed to submit the report to the court by October 9 in the light of that report. But before sending the land office’s ‘ownership verification report’, the inquiry officer sent a fabricated report to Adal on September 20 for unknown reasons. Nowhere in the report is there any mention of verification and survey of land ownership.
He said, “When I contacted the upazila land office on September 24, the surveyor of the land office asked me to be present on the morning of September 29 to survey the area in view of the police application. However, on the morning of September 29, the land office surveyor informed me that the investigating officer had sent the report to the court without informing them.
Salim Miah- Srimangal has faced huge financial loss by investing in the tourism sector and requested the intervention of the local administration and the Home Affairs Advisor to rescue the land occupied by Abidur Rahman.
When accused Abidur Rahman Chowdhury Sohel was asked about the matter, he denied the allegation of land grabbing and said, “I am the owner of 25 dags and Salim Mia is the owner of 64 dags. The case is ongoing in the tribunal.”