A farmer in Lalmonirhat's Aditmari upazila has alleged that a group of neighbours attempted to grab his land by erecting a tin fence around his vegetable field and blocking access to his homestead despite a court order over the disputed property.
Farmer Abdur Rashid filed a written complaint with Aditmari Police Station on Saturday, seeking justice over the incident.
Abdur Rashid, son of the late Jahed Ali of Boshintari village under Bhadrai Union in Aditmari upazila, alleged that his family has been living on and cultivating the disputed land for decades.
According to the complaint, Jahed Ali purchased 46 decimals of land around 40 years ago and established a homestead there. Following his death, his sons Abdur Rashid and Abdur Rahim have been cultivating the land and residing on the property.
Rashid alleged that neighbouring brothers Mukul Mia, Abdul Haque and Siddique, along with their associates, had long been claiming ownership of the land and threatening to take possession of it.
Seeking legal remedy, Rashid filed a case with a court, which subsequently imposed restrictions under Sections 144 and 145 and directed both parties to refrain from entering the disputed land while the case remains pending.
Ignoring the court order, the accused allegedly erected a tin fence around the vegetable field and the entrance to the homestead late Friday night and built a temporary shed on the land in an apparent attempt to seize possession.
The family discovered the fence on Saturday morning and found that access to their home had been blocked. When they tried to remove the structures, the accused allegedly attacked them, leaving Rashid’s brother Abdur Rahim injured.
Locals rescued him and admitted him to Aditmari Upazila Health Complex for treatment.
Police later visited the spot, brought the situation under control and partially reopened the access route while instructing both parties not to enter the disputed land, according to local sources.
Rashid subsequently lodged a written complaint against 11 people, naming Mukul Mia as the principal accused.
"The land has been in our possession for a long time. Despite the case being under judicial consideration, the opposing party tried to occupy it by force and assaulted my brother," Rashid told UNB.
Meanwhile, sons of Mukul Mia claimed that the land originally belonged to their ancestors and alleged that Rashid's family had been occupying it unlawfully.
"We have simply fenced our own land," they said.
Nazmul Haque, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Aditmari Police Station, said police had received the complaint and would take necessary legal action after an investigation.