Many of those who lose their homesteads to erosion take refuge on char lands or emerging islands on rivers. One such is a Dhalchar.
The char IS between Noakhali and Bhola operating beyond the periphery of any administration and law. As a result rape, killings and other human rights violations are regular events here.
The char is divided into two parts: one part is controlled by an influential family from Monpura while landless people live in the other.
The locals allege that a former bureaucrat and his relative evicted many landless people and occupied around half of Dhal char.
The bureaucrat is identified as Nazim Uddin Chowdhury, former power and energy secretary. His cohort is his uncle, former chairman of Monpura, Kamal Uddin Chowdhury.
Reportedly, hundreds of children are growing up without education though there is a primary school established by Nazim Uddin Chowdhury. It’s believed that the former secretary occupied a large area to start a fish project and also has a rest house.
It’s alleged that landless people are often taken to the rest house to be tortured.
An inspection of the area under disguise revealed fish farms, power using solar panels, speed boats etc.
The locals cannot enter the rest house and only close peoples of the secretary go there to spend leisure time.
The former secretary established medical centres, mosque and school but the people of Haiti cannot avail themselves of these facilities.
Nazim Uddin has huge earning from the char: reportedly, he earned Tk. 95 lakh in 2017 by cultivating crops and Tk. 1 crore 5 lakh from poultry.
Nazim Uddin’s fish hatcheries produce 100 tonnes of Tilapia, shrimp and Ruhi fish every year.
Local people allege that large areas of the char were occupied by NazimUddin’s uncle Kamal Uddin with the help of the Pakistan Army in 1971.
TIB’s executive director, Dr Iftekharuzzaman told Bangla Tribune: this is an egregious incident; a former high-level government official has unleashed a medieval fiefdom by abusing power.”
This should be taken up by the ACC unless this sort of activity is prevented, crime in coastal regions will soar, he warned.