Land acquisition in Babuchara for BDR Battalion Headquarter

The government is going to acquire 45 acres of land in Babuchara under Dighinala Thana in Khagrachari district for the purpose of constructing a battalion headquarters office of the Bangladesh Rifles, the border security force of the country.

The move will instantly oust 74 Jumma families in three villages - Jatna Dhan Karbari Para, Gobinda Karbari Para and Hengottya Karbari Para. An additional one hundred families will have to ultimately vacate their lands once the construction of the camp compound is completed.

Most of these families were victims of Kaptai Hydro Electric Project that evicted one hundred thousand Jummas in the early sixties. Moreover, in 1986 almost all these 74 families had to flee to Indian state of Tripura where they lived as refugees until the Chittagong Hill Tracts accord was signed in 1997.

The Deputy Commissioner of Khagrachari already issued acquisition notices on 31 March 2005. They have been addressed to the owners of acquisitioned lands. Memo nos. of the notices are 14-21/05-61/LA, 62/LA, 63/LA, 64/ LA, 65/LA, 66/LA and 67/LA. It reads "whereas the under-mentioned scheduled lands are required in the public interest for the Construction of Babuchara Rifles (BDR) Battalion Project, it is hereby notified that the under-mentioned lands have been acquisitioned under Chittagong Hill Tracts Land Acquisition Regulation, 1958 with effect from 31 March 2005. As from that date, these lands have been vested upon the government after having been free of all encumbrances. Due compensation shall be awarded."

The Jumma leaders think there is no need for any BDR camp in the area, as the nearest border point is 40 miles away to the north. Moreover, there is already an army camp adjacent to the proposed site of the BDR camp.

The local people are opposed to the setting up of the BDR headquarter in their area. They think it is merely a ploy to drive them out of their homes and grab their lands.

They have already submitted petitions to the Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs ministry, the Regional Council, Khagrachari District Council and Deputy Commissioner of Khagrachari against the proposed land acquisition. While the petitions evoked some sympathy, they failed to persuade the government to cancel the plan.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) has taken up the matter and filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the government decision.

Prepared by Press Section, Publication and Publicity Department, United People's Democratic Front (UPDF), May 18, 2005.