Land Grabbing in Lama and Alikadam (Part-1)

Hill Voice, 8 March 2025, Special Reporter: A large number of cottages and restaurants have been built on leased land (hills) allocated for plantations under the ‘R’ holding in the Mirinja area of Lama upazila of Bandarban district. Local Jumma-Bengali people have alleged that many of these lease holders have illegally occupied the land by showing fake documents in their names.

Nearly 200 families of indigenous community have been living in Mirinja Bagan Para, Bora Puitya Tripura Para, Langi Para, and Menching Mro Para of Ward No. 7 of Fansiakhali Union in Yangcha Mouza of Lama Upazila for generations.

Local residents, Bir Bahadur Tripura and Menching Mro said, “We, the Tripura and Mro communities, have been living together here for a long time. A few months ago, our cremation ground was forcibly occupied by the Lama Upazila Mayor Zahir Islam’s brother Amir Hossain. After occupying it, they cut down the forest and built a resort called Bilas Resort.” They also said, “Despite complaining to the Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) of Lama Upazila, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bandarban District, and the Chairman of the Bandarban Hill District Council, we did not get any redressal despite the protests against the forcible occupation of our cremation ground.”

A local resident of Chagalkhaiya Mouza in Lama Upazila, Md. Shahajan, said, “Although land has been allocated on lease at the top of Mirinja Hill for the creation of plantations under the ‘R’ holding, instead of creating plantations, cottages and resorts are being built by forcibly occupying the land by showing papers in different names.” He also said that the plantations that were built by the Jumma villagers there are being cut down and the roads are being developed to make cottages. The cottages built in this place have become as risky as Sajek.

Another local resident, who asked not to be named, said, “If the upazila administration properly verifies the government-leased lands, I don’t think most of the cottage holders will be able to show the documents. The Mirinja hills are the most vulnerable in the coming monsoon.” He added that only the forcible occupation of land is going on in the Chagalkhaiya Mouza of Lama upazila now.

The names of the owners of the resorts built on the hills allocated for lease and on the occupied land are given below– Mirinja Valley owner Md. Zia Uddin, Mirinja 97 Resort owner Md. Rafiqul Islam, Shangrila Hill Resort owner Md. Jahedul Maulana, River View Resort owner Md. Jamal Uddin Bhutu, Mirinja Resort owner Md. Abdur Rahim, Sabuj Swarna River View owner Chahlamong Marma, Mirinja Meghalaya Resort owner Miraj Uddin, Bear Hill Lama owner Advocate Sadequl Moula, Mirikhyang Eco Resort owner Md. Rafiq Uddin, Mountain Whisper Cottage owner Golam Akbar, Chungdar Bak Resort owner Md. Sabbir Rahman, Mirinja Meet Valley owner Punam Barua, Royal Mill Resort & Restaurant owner Md. Russell Chowdhury.

Md. Fahim Shahariar Ishan, owner of Sabuj Diganta Ago & Resort; Moazzem Hossain and Mankrak Murung, owner of Green Heaven Resort; Nurul Islam Jisan and Nur Mohammad Mintu, owner of Mirinja Sunset; Sanjita Chakma, owner of Agarang Resort; Russell Chowdhury, owner of Royal Resort; Md. Tanfizur Rahman, owner of Tangthmang Resort; Md. Alamgir Hossain, owner of Mirinja Cloud Valley; Md. Soltan Akor Mumin, owner of Mirinja Sunrise; M. Bashirul Alam, owner of Sukhiya Jyali, Md. Faruk Hossain, owner of Mirinja Megh Matong, Shahnewaz, owner of Mirinja Trills; Bishwajit Bhattacharya, owner of Mirinja Latong Valley; Md. Sala Uddin, owner of Mirinja Halfong; Singkya Mong Marma, owner of SK World; Abu Sufian, owner of SK Mirinja Heaven Resort; Mainu Uddin Piklu, owner of Mirinja Paharika.

Mirinja Hill Kuthi owner Didarul Islam, Maraingsa Hill Resort and Restaurant owner Md. Saidur Rahman, Mirinja Cottage owner Advocate Mizanur Rahman, Mirinja Green Valley owner Md. Omar Faruk, Hill Skip owner Masum, Top Point owner Rafiq, Megh Nir owner Rengpong Mro, Sabuj Nibas and Megh Vela owner Delwar Hossain Rafiq, Danger Hill owner Saddam Hossain, River View Resort, Hill Station, Mayrun Eco Resort owner Md. Zakir Hossain Pulok, Natural View owner Akhai, Mro Kim owner Daniel Mro, Jungle Bilash Adv. Saddam Hossain Manik, Green Haven, Sukhia Valley, Paradise and many more cottages and resorts are under construction.