This has happened due to 'deceitful behabviour' by a section of forest department officials who in connivance with some local influential Bangalees, victimised the indigenous people.

During a recent visit to the area some of the victims told this correspondent that about 900 indigenous families are now facing eviction.

The forest department launched a social afforestation programme in the two upazilas in 1994. Under the programme, about 1800 indigenous families were given specific areas to take care of timber plants on promise that they would get 40 per cent of the profit when those trees would be sold after 10 years. One indigenous family got one hectare area, according to sources at Durgapur Forest Range office said.

But the Forest Department neither made any written agreement nor gave the indigenous people any document.

Ignorant and simple hearted indigenous people also did not ask for any document.

After ten years, in December last year, when the forest dsold the trees, its officials there produced written documents that showed that about where 80 per cent of the caretakers were Bangalees who were in no way involved in raising or looking after the timber trees.

Most of the indigenous people who raised the trees were deprived of their promised share of profit.

The matter did not end there. The so-called Bangalee caretakers threatened to force the indigenous families out of their homesteads. Five of the indigenous families have already been evicted from their homesteads.

The indigenous people then sent a prayer to the Forest and Environment Minister on August 11 last year to look into problem. But their prayers fell on the deaf ear of the authorities.

This correspondent talked to some of the evicted indigenous people. They are Mukta Chisim, 40, of Gopalpur village, Sahala Sangma, 50, of Gopalbari village in Durgapur upazila; Kongsa Raj Hajong of Noyankandi, Hormoni Hajong of Noyankandi and Tarakashor Hajong of Noyankandi village in Kalmakanda upazila.

Mukta Chisim said she and her family took care of planted trees in their designated one hactare plot from 1994 to 2004. But when those trees were sold, she did not get any money.

One Abul Hossen of the same village got the money and evicted her family from their homestead, she alleged.

Abul Hossen allegedly told Mukta that the plot of hilly land was allotted him by the forest department to take care of the trees. He also showed the documents. Mukta's house was also in the plot. So he evicted her family. Mukta and her family now lives in a thatched house erected near her sister's house.

Sahala Hajong, another victim at Gopalpur village, said one Siru Mia drove her away from her homestead on the same plea. He now lives in her brother's house. Siru Mia now threatens him to oust from the area, he claimed.

Kongsa Raj, Hormoni Hajong and Tarokashor Hajong of Noyan Kandi village have been evicted from their homesteads in the same way. This correspondent contacted Sawpon Hajong, an indigenous leader in Durgapur and Kalmakanda upazilas. Sawpon alleged that this is a conspiracy by a section of forest officials and some local influential Bangalees against the indigenous people to evict them from their ancestral homes.

The indigenous people are living in bordering hillocks in the two upazilas for several hundred years.

Abdul Gani, a lawyer in Durgapur, said that as per law people living permanently in the hills should get plots under the government's social afforestation programme. He said the forest department has violated the law by giving afforestation plots to Bangalees.

When contacted, Shamsul Huda, Range Officer at Durgapur Forest Range, said he took charge a year ago. He said he is aware that some Bangalees obtained documents showing themselves enlisted in the social afforestation programme in the hills. They used political influence. He said he has nothing to do.

Akbar Hossen, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Mymensingh Forest Division, said he does not know anything about this. But he said he will take necessary action if anything wrong has been done to the indigenous people.

M A Karim Abbasi, lawmaker from the area, said he has no knowledge about indigenous people being deprived of their shares under the afforestation programme and whether they are being evicted from their homesteads.