With the help of local police, two brothers in old Dhaka, Jabed Uddin and Abed Uddin, have been illegally occupying vested property for a long time.
Recently a similar attempt to grab a martyr's property was foiled at the intervention of Inspector General of police Jabed Patwary.
The deputy police commissioner of Wari zone, Ibrahim Khan, was also temporarily suspended over the incident.
The family, victimised by the brothers, allege that the then OC of Bangshal police station, Sahidur Rahman and deputy commissioner, Ibrahim Khan were given Tk 30 million as bribe.
When the victims were driven out of their home, valuables worth TK 50 million were looted, stated the complaint lodged to the IGP.
If the complaint did not go to the IGP, the occupation spree of Jabed-Abed would not have come out in the open.
Investigation shows that Jabed-Abed began occupying property with fake papers from 1994 and many of the victims did not get police help.
Locals say that the two brothers forcefully occupied a plot near their home in Nawabpur.
A shop owner in the area says: “Plot 220 was a vested property leased by Enamul Huq Sadi; he had a shop called China Machine Tools but was evicted by the brothers who then constructed a building on the land.”
“Plot 221 is also a property left by a Hindu family who left for India in 1971. The government allotted the land to Masuda Khanam, mother of former DC of Cumilla, Shamsul Huq.”
Masuda Khanam had been living there by paying the yearly fee and after she died, the Dhaka district administration allotted the land to her two sons: Fazlul Huq Khan and Azharul Huq Khan.
They also applied to the office of the district administration to submit the fees for the lease. However, on Sept 28, 2018, the family was evicted with support from police.
Shamsul Hassan khan, nephew of Shamsul Huq, says: “We were evicted with police assistance; the three-storey building was demolished and the law worked for the criminals.”
“Steps have been taken against the DC Ibrahim but not the OC, so we fear reprisals,” he added.
Though Abed and Jabed occupied one property after another since 1994, the police did not take any measure.
Shamsul Hassan Khan says: “We complained to many places but nothing happened; they took away valuables worth Tk 50 million but the police took a burglary case; we informed the OC of Bangshal thana and DC Ibrahim, but no one came forward to help.”
After the IGP intervened, the DC was temporarily suspended but the OC is now at Kotwali thana.