Eminent citizens protest felling of Garo woman’s banana orchard in Madhupur
On September 14, the forest department cut down the banana trees of Basanti Remar, a local Garo woman, by force without any prior legal notice
Twenty-one eminent citizens have given a joint statement in protest against the felling of a local ethnic woman's banana trees by the forest department officials in Tangail's Madhupur.
In the statement, they demanded an impartial investigation into the incident, the punishment of the liable persons and compensation to the owner of the banana trees.
On September 14, the forest department cut down the banana trees of Basanti Remar, a local Garo woman, by force without any prior legal notice. Basanti's family has been cultivating the land for years, said the statement.
The victim's family alleged that Assistant Forest Conservator Jamal Hossain Talukdar, Ranger Abdul Ahad and local Awami League member Jahangir led the heinous incident, the statement read.
According to the statement, local ethnic communities and different organisations of them are considering this incident as part of the conspiracy to evict ethnic people from Madhupur area.
Among others, Oikyo NAP President Pankaj Bhattacharya, Human Rights Activist Sultana Kamal, former Adviser of Caretaker Government Rasheda K Chowdhury, former Justice of the Supreme Court Md Nizamul Karim Nasim, former Chairman of National Human Rights Commission Dr Mizanur Rahman, President of Economics Samity Dr Abul Barakat, Co-ordinator of Nijera Kori Khushi Kabir, Executive Director of Manusher Jonno Foundation Shahin Anam, Actor and Dramatist Mamunur Rashid signed the statement.
