Influential people in Jhikargachha, Jashore, are accused of fraud who leased parts of Vaina river showing the river as a paddy cultivating land. After that, they are using the river as fish hatcheries.

Locals say that late Rashid member and his son in law, Lokman Hossain, showed river areas as cultivable land and took a lease.

These areas have been used for hatcheries for 20-25 years.

The local administration has said that case will soon be lodged against river occupiers. Locals are deprived of using the river and people are beaten if they come to the river to bathe.

Locals accuse Lokman of showing river as land in the doctored map.

Jashore district administrator, Shafiul Arif, said: “River cannot be leased as land; I will ask the UNO to investigate.”