Miscreants cut down about 480 banana stalks in a Sabri banana garden in Birampur, Dinajpur. The incident took place late last Wednesday night in the garden of Shahinur Islam (42), a banana farmer in Ratanpur village of Khanpur Union of the upazila. He filed a written complaint with the Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) and the police station on Thursday.
Yesterday (Thursday) afternoon, when he went to Shahinur’s banana garden, it was seen that about 480 Sabri banana trees were standing in the garden. However, the stalks of each tree had been cut down with a sharp weapon. The bananas in the orchard have been cut in the middle and the fruits have also been destroyed. Damaged banana orchards are hanging on some trees. Some orchards are lying on the ground.
Talking to Shahinur Islam, it was learned that in early June last year, he took 50 decimals of the land from a local person in Ratanpur village. Later, on the 20th of that month, he planted 540 Sabri banana seedlings on that land as a year-round nutritional fruit and homestead vegetable garden under the Small Holder Agriculture Competitiveness Project (SACP) of the Upazila Agriculture Department.
Last Wednesday, around 11:30 am, a local woman tied a goat to feed grass next to the orchard. Later, when the goat ate banana leaves in the orchard and damaged the trees, Shahinur asked the woman to remove the goat. Shahinur had a quarreled with the woman over the matter. Shahinur received news of the banana orchard being cut yesterday morning.
It is believed that the banana orchards were cut on Wednesday night. Banana farmer Shahinur Islam said that the loss was about 150,000 taka. Mohammad Ali, a resident of Ratanpur village, said that on Wednesday between 2 am and 2:30 am, many dogs were barking in the Kalabagan area of Shahinur.
It seems that someone entered his garden at that time and cut and destroyed the banana leaves.
Admitting that he had received a written complaint in this regard, Birampur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Momtazul Haque told that the police visited the scene yesterday evening based on the complaint. An investigation is underway in this regard. If the culprits are identified during the investigation, legal action will be taken against the concerned persons.
Report Courtesy: prothomalo.com
