15 Garo families in Sylhet face eviction after seven decades

Fifteen Garo (Mandi) families who have been living in Sylhet for seven decades are now living in fear of eviction due to threats from a housing company. Residents allege that people from 'Chairman City Housing Company' are putting up pillars and using various pressures and intimidation to force them to vacate the land.

Around 80-90 people live in Fisaricharapar area of Kallagram in Khadimnagar union under Sylhet Sadar upazila. Alongside the 15 Garo families, one Muslim family also resides there.

Residents said they have been living here for a long time, building semi-pucca and pucca houses on approximately 25.7 decimals of land. They pay holding tax to the union parishad, and this address is also on the national ID cards of the adults.

Mary Chisam, 75, a senior resident of the area, said, "We have been here since the time of our parents and grandparents. Now we are being told we must leave the land. We are poor people, where will we go now?"

She alleged that they once cleared the jungle and settled here. Initially there were huts, later with the help of church fathers and their own efforts they built houses. Now suddenly they are being asked to leave as land is being filled.

Residents said the housing company has been selling plots for the last four months and work is underway to prepare the land by filling the stream. In most cases, soil is dumped at night.

Doya Begum said, "They have put a pucca pillar next to my house and said this is their land. We must leave."

Babul Kanu informed that stream filling work began on December 24. When they objected, police were brought in. Later they lodged a written complaint with the UNO. Although work stopped for some days, threats and intimidation have resumed, they claimed.

Pucca pillars of the housing company were seen in multiple places in the area. Residents allege there are also signs of the stream's course being altered.

Regarding this, Deputy General Manager of BSCIC Sylhet district office M Suhel Haoladar said some government projects have been taken up to reduce odour, and discussions have been held with the UNO about canal excavation.

Sylhet Sadar Upazila UNO Khoshnur Rubaiyat said the residents of Garopara are on khas land. They will not be evicted without rehabilitation. A list has been prepared. At the same time, it will be investigated whether the housing company has valid documents for changing the land class by filling agricultural land. If threats are made, legal action will be taken.

On the other hand, Ashraful Alam Ahad, director of 'Chairman City Housing Company', denied the allegations of threats. He said, "I did not tell anyone to evict. I informed them that we want to dump soil on our land. We have not changed the stream's course."

Sylhet District Commissioner Md Sarwar Alam said, "No such complaint has come to me. However, the matter will be looked into."

Despite assurances from the administration, the uncertainty for the residents of Garopara remains. They are spending their days in fear of losing the settlement of several generations.