SB-Sujon:
The railway authorities have demolished the private park illegally built on railway land by Rakibuzzaman Ahmed, son of former social welfare minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed of the Awami League government.
On Monday (November 18), an eviction team led by Abdur Razzak, Divisional Assistant Land Officer (DEO) of Lalmonirhat Railway, demolished the park.
The minister’s son, Rakibuzzaman Ahmed, former chairman of the Kaliganj Upazila Parishad, established the private park by displacing landless people living next to the Tushbhandar Railway Station in Kaliganj Upazila and occupying about 70 percent of the land.
He built the park at a cost of 1.5 crore taka through 20 projects under different names from the offices of the Zilla Parishad, Upazila Parishad and Project Implementation Officer.
The Awami League office was built next to it. The park, built with government funds, was only used for the minister’s son to spend his leisure time.
The public was prohibited from entering it.
According to the railway, people in the area used to set up temporary shops and sell various products in the open space east of the Tushbhandar railway station in Kaliganj upazila on the Lalmonirhat-Burimari rail route.
Fifty landless families were living next to the railway line. Two years ago, Rakibuzzaman Ahmed, son of former Social Welfare Minister Nuruzzaman Ahmed, evicted these shops and settlements and occupied about 70 percent of the land.
Locals say that the former minister’s son suddenly took possession of the land one day and first surrounded it with tin. Later, a brick wall was built around the place. A concrete boat was placed on the main gate. Not only that, he built a personal office next to it. And next to the pond, his uncle Shamsuzzaman Bhutto occupied a plot, built a warehouse and rented it to Akij Company. For which the minister’s brother Shamsuzzaman Ahmed Bhutto took about one crore taka.
It is known that Nuruzzaman Ahmed was appointed as the State Minister for Social Welfare in 2016 and the Minister for Social Welfare in 2019. He was dropped from the 2024 cabinet. He had been the Member of Parliament for Lalmonirhat-2 (Kaliganj-Aditmari) constituency since 2014. Rakibuzzaman Ahmed got the organizational post of the district Awami League as the son of the minister. Then, he participated in the election for the first time and was elected as the Chairman of the Kaliganj Upazila Parishad.
Since the fall of the Awami League government in the face of mass protests on August 5, most of his family members, including Nuruzzaman Ahmed and his son Rakibuzzaman, have been absconding. Only one of the minister’s brothers, Shamsuzzaman Ahmed Bhutto, has been arrested in a case related to the murder of a Rangpur Chhatra League leader and is in jail.
Locals rejoiced at the news of the eviction of the minister’s son’s private park. However, the slum dwellers living next to the park were not evicted. Although these residents were quite frightened by the eviction, they appealed to various departments, including the Railway Department, not to evict them.
Railway Executive Engineer Md. Touhidul Islam, Assistant Commandant Ataul Gani Osmani and Railway Police officials were present at the eviction drive.
Railway Divisional Land Property Officer Abdur Razzak said that the establishments were built by violating the conditions of the agricultural land license. Although letters were sent to them several times, they did not pay attention due to the influence of power. However, due to a change of heart, we were able to evict the illegal establishment of the minister’s son.
Views: 0
