Hill Voice, 21 May 2025, Bandarban: Headman Rengpung Mro is accused of giving possession of hill land to Rashed Morshed, a resident of Dhaka, in Langri Karbari Para and Tolu Karbari Para of Tainfa Mouza near Lipa Jhiri, 13/14 km area of Thanchi Road in Alikadam, Bandarban district.

It is known that Rashed Morshed, a resident of Dhaka, was given possession of this land based on the report given by Headman Rengpung Mro in exchange for a large sum of money.

According to local sources, in 2021, based on complaints from local Mro and Tripura communities against illegal land occupation, the Upazila Executive Officer conducted a drive and stopped all their activities. They were prohibited from conducting any kind of activities on the said hill. It is known that later, with the help of local resident Chathui Pru Marma Babli, the land was again occupied and teak saplings were planted.

Lengring Mro and Koklam Mro said that an outsider named Rashed Morshed came and occupied the lands in 2021 after receiving a report from the Rengpung Mro headman in exchange for money. Although their activities have been suspended for two or three years, now when we go to cultivate rice or Jum, their people come and plant teak saplings on our land.

Although their activities were stopped for two or three years, now they claim that their people come and plant teak saplings on our lands even when we go to cultivate rice or Jum. They also said, Outsiders claim to have bought our Jum lands and hills based on a report from the headman. They are preventing us from cultivating Jum and are desperate to seize the lands.”

The local residents of Tainfa Mouza said that the headman of this Mouza is a very old man and does not understand much. However, the headman’s assistant, Alikadam Bazar Chowdhury Abu Bakkar, commits these irregularities. They strongly demand that a qualified person be given the responsibility of the headman.

Regarding the encroachment of land in the 13/14 kilo area of Thanchi Road, a caretaker of Rashed Morshed named Arif (Babu) said, “My sir Rashed Morshed bought 15 acres of land here with money through Babli based on the headman’s report. Now we have planted 8/10 thousand teak saplings in my sir’s land,” he said.

When asked on what basis the report was given to outsiders, Tainfa Mouza Headman Rengpung Mro said, “A person named Chathui Prue Marma Babli came to me with Rashed Morshed. Then they looked for some land to build a cottage. Then I gave them 5 acres of land on the basis of the report, I don’t know how they got the rest of the land.

When asked why you gave the report to outsiders of the district with money, he switched off the phone and did not receive any more calls.