Court orders recovery of govt land allegedly encroached by SAD leaders in Naogaon within 7 days
A Naogaon court has directed the district administration to recover a piece of government land worth around Tk1 crore in Manda Upazila, allegedly occupied illegally by some leaders of Students Against Discrimination (SAD), within the next seven working days.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Foisal Ahmad of Manda Cognisance Court-2 issued the suo moto order today (14 August), following a report published by The Business Standard titled "Naogaon student leaders accused of building restaurant on 'gifted' govt land" on 12 August.
The court directed the district's deputy commissioner to take necessary action and have an executive magistrate reclaim the land within seven days, formally hand it over to the executive engineer of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in Naogaon.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
In addition, the court instructed the district's superintendent of police to identify those responsible for the encroachment and submit a report to the court by 23 September.
According to court sources, the land in question, situated near the Atrai River ferry ghat bridge along the Naogaon-Rajshahi highway — estimated to be worth around Tk1 crore — belongs to the RHD.
Reports published last Tuesday (12 August) by TBS and another local online portal alleged that the land had been encroached upon with the support of former Manda upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Shah Alam Mia.
The encroachment reportedly facilitated the construction of a restaurant by three local leaders of SAD, which spearheaded the nationwide anti-discrimination movement in July last year.
The offence constitutes a clear violation of Sections 11 and 16 of the Land Crime Prevention and Remedy Act, 2003, which carry legal penalties. Under Section 190(1)(c) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, the court has the authority to take cognisance of the offence, said the sources.
The court's Bench Assistant Abu Hasanat Noyon said that the court ordered a high-level investigation to be led by an additional superintendent of police to determine who else may have been involved in this illegal occupation.
"Further legal action will be taken upon submission of the investigation report to the court," he added.
