Land Dispute in Lohagara: Expatriate's Family Alleges Attack and Extortion Attempt

A long-standing land dispute in Ishangati village of Lohagara Upazila, Narail, escalated into an alleged attack on an expatriate's home. The victims accuse a local group of attempting to forcibly occupy their land, demanding extortion, and physically assaulting female family members.

The incident reportedly occurred on Monday (June 8) afternoon. The victims detailed their allegations to local journalists who visited Kashipur Union on Tuesday (June 9) morning.

According to the victim's family, the conflict stems from a dispute over two decimals of a 4.5-decimal plot (Dag No. 1297, Ishangati Mouza). The victims—expatriate Nazmul Islam, his mother Saleha Begum, and his late father Syed Kamruzzaman—had previously secured a court verdict confirming their ownership of the land. However, they allege that neighbors Fatema Begum Tuli, her husband Mizanur Molya, and her brother Tariqul Islam recently attempted to seize the property in defiance of the court order.

When Nazmul’s family resisted the occupation, the accused allegedly retaliated. Taking advantage of the male family members' absence, a mob of 100 to 120 people—allegedly led by Mizanur, Tariqul, Naeem Molya, Nadim Molya, and Shamim Molya—attacked the residence on Monday afternoon. Terrified, the women locked themselves inside to survive. During the chaos, Nazmul’s cousin, Hasiba Akhter, was reportedly beaten, and her mobile phone was snatched. Lohagara police intervened shortly after to bring the situation under control.

"They attacked our house with local weapons to seize our land," claimed Saleha Begum, alongside other family members, including Syed Ahad, Shamima Akhtar Munni, Hasiba Khanam, and Smriti Begum. "They had previously threatened us and demanded Tk 3 lakh in extortion. When we refused, they attacked our home and assaulted our daughter. We demand justice from the administration."

When contacted, the accused, Tariqul Islam, completely denied the allegations. "These claims are entirely false. We have been harassed by previous lawsuits and are not involved in this incident at all," he stated.

Inspector (Investigation) Ajit Kumar Roy of Lohagara Police Station confirmed the unrest. "Police were dispatched immediately after receiving reports of the incident on Monday afternoon to restore order. The victims have not yet filed a formal written complaint with the station. Once a complaint is received, we will investigate and take necessary legal action," he said.