It has been alleged that a house belonging to a Ashrayan Project allotted in the name of others in Pabna's Santhia Upazila was forcibly occupied. The occupant's name is Maqbool Sheikh. The homeless Raham Mollah, who was allotted the house, could not get up there with his family. The incident took place in Afra village of ward 7 of Karamja union of the upazila.
It was learned on the spot that four houses were constructed for the landless in the government land of Afra village in Santhia upazila under the government's shelter project. The houses were allotted to four homeless families as a gift for Eid-ul-Fitr this year. The house documents have already been registered in the name of the head of the family with two per cent space. Raham Mollah's family is among the four families who have been allotted houses. Since he did not have any land of his own, he and his family lived in a dilapidated house in the place of Water Development Board in Afra village.
Meanwhile, Maqbool Sheikh lived in the government place where the shelter project house was built. He claimed that he had been promised a house by the administration before the project started. With that hope, he moved out of the house.
But after the construction of the house, his name did not appear in the allocation list.
Meanwhile, according to local people and upazila administration sources, Maqbool Sheikh has built a house in a government place but he is not actually homeless. He has agricultural land in Afra village of the upazila. Besides, his family is known in the area as quite affluent. And that is why the house was not allotted in his name. The locals want a quick solution from the upazila administration.
Before the holy Eid-ul-Fitr on April 10, 33,000 families across the country received the Prime Minister's Eid gift house. At the same time, houses were allotted among four families in that place of Afra village of the upazila. But not seeing his name in the list of allotments, Maqbool Sheikh occupied a house with his family members. Since then he has been living there with his family. Meanwhile, the house that was occupied has been allotted in the name of the real landless Raham Mollah. After allotting the house, he went upstairs with his family and saw Maqbool Sheikh's family living in it. At that time, the family members of Maqbool Sheikh chased away the family members of Raham Mollah with insults and threats. Since then, Raham Mollah has been returning to the Upazila administration, UP chairman and other individuals and organizations in the hope of getting possession of the house.
Raham Mollah said, ‘I am a very poor person. I was dreaming of the house. But the people of Maqbool Sheikh do not let us get up in that house. We want the help of the administration."
Going to the spot, it was seen that Maqbool Sheikh's family was living in the house allotted in the name of Raham Mollah. Next to this newly built house is a semi-finished beautiful house built by Maqbool Sheikh's son. However, that house is also in the place of Water Development Board. According to some locals, Maqbool Sheikh has agricultural land. He sold a part of this land a house a year ago for Tk 16 lakh.
Majeed Sheikh's wife Sajeda Khatun said, "We have been in this place for 30 years. We have no place to go to. They have demolished the house in Amagar to give the house. Now I am forced to move to this place because I have not been given a house.”
Santhia Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Mohammad Moniruzzaman said, “Maqbool Sheikh is a well-to-do person in the area. He does not deserve a house in any way. Instead, he is still occupying government land. I have received allegations that Maqbool Sheikh is forcibly occupying the house allotted in the name of Raham Mollah. In a day or two, I will go myself and explain the house to Raham Ali.”
