2 families kept confined for 18 Days in Chandina

Two families in Chandina, Cumilla, were kept confined for 18 days due to a dispute over road construction.

They couldn't even leave their homes to go to the mosque for prayers during Ramadan and on the Eid day.

Due to the efforts of local journalists and pressure from the administration, the fence were opened after 18 days, but by then, the Eid joy of the two families had already been overshadowed. Seven people, including women, men, children, and the elderly, had to endure days of hunger and deprivation until Saturday (April 5).

The inhuman incident took place in Bamutiya village of Mahichail Union in the upazila. On March 18, the village matabbars imposed a blockade on the families of Abul Kashem Bhuiya and Abul Hasem Bhuiya of Bhuiya Bari.

After visiting the spot it has been learned that the house of Abul Kashem Bhuiya was barricaded on both sides with bamboo and thorny branches extending up to the canal. Under the instructions of the village matabbars, people kept a constant watch day and night to confine the seven members of the two families inside the house.

It has been found that the construction of an unpaved road along the canal from the Bamutiya Bhuiyapara Jam-e-Masjid to the south, funded by the government TR project, is underway. Nearly 90% of the work has been completed. The village matabbars have cut down at least seven of their trees, of various species, to make way for the road, which runs next to the houses of Kashem Bhuiya and Hashem Bhuiya. The matabbars disagreed with the plan to construct the road using less of the land from their plots and taking more from the government khas land. When Abul Kashem refused to give the road access on his land as per their demand, the village matabbars, angered, barricaded their house on March 18. Despite several shalish held by local notables, the issue could not be resolved.

The two families have alleged that they were trapped by the village matabbars wrath. To prevent them from leaving their homes, bamboo and thorn fences were erected around their houses.

The family members were unable to leave their homes to even offer prayers at the mosque, from the beginning of Ramadan until Eid day.

Abul Kashem Bhuiya's son, Md. Sadek Hossain Bhuiya, said, "The member and village chief cut down seven trees of different species without consulting us. When we objected, they put up a fence and blocked our way out of the house. For 18 consecutive days, none of us could leave the house, nor could anyone enter from outside. We even informed the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) in writing, but received no relief."

He said, "Local journalists made phone calls to various places, and on Saturday (April 5), a few people led by the general secretary of the Upazila BNP, Kazi Arshad, came and resolved the issue, opening the fence. But by then, our Eid joy had already been ruined. We couldn't even buy groceries for the family. My parents fasted without food. On Eid day, my elderly father couldn't even perform the prayers!"

The accused village matabbar, Abu Taher, said, "Due to the lack of a road, members of more than a hundred families had no other way to leave their homes. It became very difficult to bring home the harvested crops. Since the road construction work started with government funds, we all vacated the land. Some even broke down their homes to give space for the road. But Abul Kashem Bhuiya refused to vacate his land and instead suggested filling the canal to make way for the road. Despite our repeated attempts to explain, we were left with no choice but to put up a fence. Since he refuses to give space for the road, he and his family shouldn't step onto anyone else's land!"

Member of Ward 5 of Mahichail Union Parishad, Shafik Sikdar, said, "A road of nearly one thousand feet has been constructed using everyone’s land. However, due to Kashem Bhuiya’s arbitrary demands and his disregard for anyone in the community, only about 50-60 feet of the road work remains incomplete. As a result, the villagers decided to lock him in with a fence."

Upazila Nirbahi Officer(UNO) Nazia Hossain said, "I will send an investigation team to the site, with the Assistant Commissioner (Land) as the head, to investigate this matter. Appropriate action will be taken after the investigation."