A cluster of shanty-like homes belonging to Hindus are accessible only by a makeshift bamboo bridge over a roadside canal at Patikelbari village of Gopalganj Sadar upazila. The rickety structures declare the financial constraint of the 100 or so Maitra family.
The current generations of the Mitras were never rich, but they were never this destitute either. They had over 27.5 acres of farmland, enough to support them “fairly well.”
All that changed about four years ago – they were forced to sell all but five acres of their farmland to former police chief Benazir Ahmed.
“If I begin to tell my story, I would not be able to fight back my tears,” said Swarup Maitra, 55, one of the Mitras who had to give in to Benazir’s extraordinary power and great appetite for poor people’s land.
The former top cop, now said to have left the country although there is no official confirmation, is currently being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Commission for amassing huge wealth while in office.
Benazir, who faces a US sanction for his alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings when he was Rab chief, allegedly employed two tactics to acquire land: direct intimidation and indirect pressure.
The ACC has so far found that he and his family bought at least 613.41 bighas of land in different districts, including 605.77 bighas in Gopalganj and Madaripur that once belonged to Hindus, a religious minority.
He built most of his assets, including an eye-catching resort called Savanna Eco Resort and Natural Park in his hometown of Gopalganj, when he headed Rab (January 2015 to April 2020) and police force (April 2020 to September 2022).
In Gopalganj, Benazir engaged Taimur Islam, an inspector of a police station, to acquire the vast swath of over 600 bighas of farmland.
“About four years ago, Taimur asked us to sell the land. As we refused, he said that Benazir had already acquired all the surrounding land and would make sure that we cannot access our land,” Swarup told to this reporter.
Eventually, they had to sell their three bighas of land for Tk 3.8 lakh per bigha, nearly half the market price. With the little money shared among his three brothers, there was no way they could buy any farmland elsewhere.
Another victim of Benazir’s allegedly forceful land acquisition is Swarasati Roy, 60, from Borokhola village in Rajoir of Madaripur. Having forced to give up her 31 decimals of land, her only livelihood means, she now works at other people’s homes to earn a living.
Two to three years ago, Taimur said she was not the real owner of the land and threatened that Benazir would take it anyway. Eventually, she caved, and had to accept only Tk 2 lakh for the land she bought 20 years ago with loan money and the proceeds from the sale of a cow.
She and her day labourer son now live on a five-decimal homestead, their last remaining piece of land.
Others, including Apurba Maitra of Patikelbari village of Gopalganj, were targeted with clever tactics.
The man had 10 kathas of farmland in two plots, growing rice on one plot and watermelon on the other.
Suddenly one day, Benazir’s men laid large pipes through his land to sand-fill the ex-IGP’s Savanna Eco Resort and Natural Park project site. The plot that fell within Benazir’s project was automatically filled with sand.
“We failed to grow anything for two years. At one point, we were compelled to sell the land to Benazir,” said Apurba, who now works as a day labourer.
Like them, several hundred people in Gopalganj Sadar and Madaripur’s Rajoir upazilas were forced to sell their family land.
During a two-day visit to Machkandi, Bairagitol and Patikelbari villages of Gopalganj Sadar and Borokhola village in Rajoir, The Daily Star spoke to at least 40 people. They all said they would not have sold their land if it were not for the terror induced in their hearts by the very thought of Benazir.
CLEVER TACTICS
According to locals, Benazir first bought a piece of land in the area in 2016-2017. The floodgate had since opened as the mighty cop went on a land acquisition spree, with Inspector Taimur Islam intimidating the poor and mostly Hindu villagers to sell their land.
Benazir’s men would fly drones and make a map, marking various plots in white and red, presumably to determine which land to target, said Tarun Baul of Bairagitol village.
He recalled that Taimur would eventually approach the targeted land owners and say, “You know Benazir and how powerful he is. If you decline to sell your land, he would surely take it anyway. You will lose both your land and the money. If you agree to sell, I will help you get a handsome price.”
When someone refused to sell their land, Benazir would buy the surrounding land and block the entry to the land in the middle. This would ultimately force people to give in, said Sanjay Baul of Bairagitol village whose 30 bighas of family land were “forcefully acquired” by Benazir in 2018-2019.
“Two locals left for India with their families after selling their land to Benazir,” said Biplob Baul.
One of them is Pranshanta Baul, 40, who left the country along with his wife and four children about a year ago.
“I was compelled to sell my 51 decimals of agricultural land at Tk 2 lakh after Benazir’s men filled it up with sand. What would I do back home? So I came to India,” he told The Daily Star by phone from Thakurnagar, West Bengal.
RAB-POLICE MEMBERS AT RESORT
Benazir engaged members of the police and Rab for his personal project as well. Locals said that until he went into retirement in 2022, several police and Rab officials were tasked with supervising the construction work of the resort.
Two sub-inspectors — Bachchu Miah and Shahjalal — were seen at the site most of the time by locals.
Benazir’s then staff officer Masud Alam, who later became Madaripur police super, also visited the site frequently, sometimes even negotiating the land purchase, locals said.
Rab Additional SP Shaheda Sultana would also visit the site.
NO ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE
Savanna Eco Resort and Natural Park was built on a portion of the purchased land at Machkandi and Bairagitol villages. There are several upscale cottages having architecture replicating the Masai houses of the African Savanna.
For land development at the site, Benazir’s men dug up a huge pond spanning about 30 bighas of land in Bairagitol and brought the sand and soil from there, locals said.
According to its website, there is a farm within the resort, several ponds, a swimming pool, boat ride facilities, play zones for children, a country club, a helipad and other facilities.
Until June 3, people could visit it for an entrance fee of Tk 100. The government has since taken over the resort.
Mahfuzur Rahman, assistant director of Gopalganj environment office, said the resort was built with a temporary site clearance, but it does not have the final environmental clearance.
A few years ago, the LGED built a road there to facilitate local people’s transport. But locals cannot use it anymore, as the resort authorities set up a huge iron gate, allowing only the resort-goers to use it.
“We learned that locals cannot use the road. Our job is to build roads. The local administration can take steps so that people can use the road,” said SM Jahidul Islam, engineer of LGED in Gopalganj Sadar.
‘OBEYED THE ORDER’
Taimur Islam, officer-in-charge at a highway police station, denied that he intimidated anyone to sell their land.
“Benazir Shaheb went into retirement two years ago. The villagers did not lodge any complaint to the local MP, union parishad chairmen and members. I do not know why they are bringing such allegations now.”
Victims said they never had the heart to seek legal redress against Benazir.
Taimur said Benazir’s staff officer sometimes called him, asking him to verify the land document, and he simply obliged.
“I was tasked with planting some trees. During the time, IGP’s staff officer occasionally called me and I used to visit him. Masud Shaheb can tell everything as he was later made the SP of Madaripur to look after the project. He did everything. They are senior officers, they know everything,” Taimur told this reporter over phone.
Sub-inspectors Bachchu and Shahjalal did not pick up the calls or respond to the text messages.
Earlier, Bachchu admitted to daily Prothom Alo that he supervised the construction work at the resort site on instructions of senior officials. He defended his action, saying he only “obeyed the orders” of his supervisors.
Masud Alam denied his involvement in the project.
“Never in my life did I commit any misdemeanor. After joining as the SP of Madaripur, I never visited the area where Benazir sir’s project is located. I did not go there even if it was necessary,” he said.
Rab Additional SP Shaheda did not respond to our calls and text messages over the last one week.
AN OFFENCE
Former IGP Nur Mohammad said senior police officials cannot engage members of the police for their personal or business work.
“That would be an offence,” he told this reporter.
Government officials can buy land, but in keeping with the regulations and with legitimate income. In Benazir’s case, it must be seen whether this was followed and what is the source of the money, said Nur, who was an Awami League lawmaker in the previous term.
Benazir did not respond to our calls and text messages on WhatsApp.
In a Facebook live on April 20, Benazir refuted the allegations of buying land through intimidation.
“Purchasing land through coercion and intimidation is impractical as it is Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s home district and the project area is adjacent to her constituency,” he said.
In addition to his land, the ACC has so far discovered that Benazir and his family have shares in 19 companies, two savings certificates, 22 bank accounts and 10 BO accounts.
All his bank accounts have since been frozen, although ACC investigators say a large sum of money has been withdrawn by the time the freeze order could take effect.
Source: www.thedailystar.net
