Tension in Bagerhat over alleged temple land grab bid, alleged assault on committee leader

Tension has mounted in Morrelganj upazila of Bagerhat following an alleged attempt to grab land belonging to a local temple and a subsequent physical assault on the temple committee's general secretary.

The incident involves the BKBB Sarbojanin Durga Temple, situated beside the Bagerhat-Pirojpur highway, where five villages – Badhal, Boktarkathi, Balabhadrapur, Bishkhali, and Kathipara –traditionally offer prayers.

This morning (3 April), local traders along with leaders of the BNP and Jamaat staged a protest procession and rally to condemn the incident and demand justice.

Sanjib Kumar Das, general secretary of the temple committee, alleged that five days ago, a group of five to six people led by one Ferdous Sikder arrived with construction materials to build a counter on the temple's roadside land.

"When we obstructed them and said a decision would be reached after consulting the committee, they became agitated and used abusive language before leaving," Sanjib said.

He further alleged that the group issued death threats at his residence late that night.

Meanwhile, according to Sanjib, Ferdous and his associates intercepted and assaulted him at around 10pm yesterday while he was returning home from the market, leaving him with an eye injury.

Morrelganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Mahamudur Rahman said he visited the scene on this afternoon.

"We will take legal action after investigating once a written complaint is filed," the OC added.

However, former Banagram Union Parishad chairman and BNP leader Abdul Jobbar Molla claimed Ferdous leads a local gang involved in various criminal activities. He alleged the attempt to occupy the land was a deliberate move to incite communal tension.

Mashiur Rahman Didar, president of the Balabhadrapur Market Committee, clarified that although the accused attempted to use a BNP affiliation as a cover for his actions, he is not associated with any political party.

"He is a disorderly individual whose job is to carry out terrorist activities. Hindu and Muslim communities have coexisted peacefully here for a long time," Didar said, demanding legal action to prevent a recurrence.

Temple Committee President Utpal Kumar Das said the incident has caused deep distress among the devotees of the five villages. He called for administrative intervention to ensure the temple's property remains secure.

Denying the allegations of land grabbing, Ferdous Sikder claimed he had reached an agreement with a local businessman, Monirul Sikder, to rent the spot for Tk500 per month.

"The temple authorities later refused to let us set up the counter. This is a personal dispute with the general secretary, not an issue of grabbing temple land," he claimed.