Indigenous people demand return of acquired farmland
Probe underway into unlawful eviction by Dinajpur forest officials
Staff Correspondent
Indigenous people of Dinajpur yesterday protested what they called unlawful acquisition of their farmland by forest officials in the name of the government's social forestry project.Indigenous leaders of the Jatiya Adivasi Parishad (National Indigenous Council) held a protest rally on Nababganj upazila office premises as a high official from the Ministry of Environment and Forest went to the area to investigate land-grabbing allegations against forest department officials of Dinajpur. The investigation was opened after two forest department officials were suspended following newspaper reports last year on unlawful eviction activities by forest officials. Ashraf Ali, joint secretary of the ministry, is investigating the case. The leaders at the rally, which was also joined by Bangla-speaking farmers of the area, demanded immediate return of the acquired land and withdrawal of "false cases" filed against farmers by the local forest department. They specifically brought allegations of harassment and forcible eviction against the local beat officer and district forest officer. Shuvash Mardi, president of the Parishad, chaired the rally and Rabindranath Saren, general secretary, spoke as chief guest.
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