Banshkhali Locals Protest Extortion and Land Grabbing by Influential Syndicate

A family and local residents formed a human chain in Baharchhara Union of Banshkhali Upazila, Chattogram, to protest alleged extortion and the forced obstruction of a building construction.

The protest took place under the banner of the victim’s family and local residents at Mosharraf Ali Miah Bazar in Paschim Ilsha village on Sunday (June 21) morning.

Speaking at the gathering, the victims alleged that when Qurban Ali's family began constructing a building on their own land, a local syndicate led by Ramzan Ali Sagar and Mujib demanded extortion money. When the family refused to pay, the group forcibly halted the construction work.

Protesters further alleged that Ramzan Ali had previously grabbed a portion of Qurban Ali’s ancestral property. According to the speakers, this syndicate frequently targets vulnerable residents, seizes land, and harasses those who resist.

"Because the accused are influential, locals are not getting any remedy even after appealing to the administration," one protester stated. "They have established a reign of terror, leaving residents feeling deeply insecure. We urge the local administration and law enforcement to intervene immediately."

Victims Qurban Ali, Aziz Ahmed, Babu Alam, Muhammad Nayan, and Belal addressed the gathering. More than a hundred local residents participated in the human chain to show their solidarity.