CHUADANGA — Unidentified attackers cut down about 300 high-yield guava trees belonging to a farmer in Jibannagar upazila of Chuadanga in what local residents called a personal feud, police said.
The attack on the orchard of Jalal Uddin took place late Sunday night in a field in Hariharnagar village, residents said.
Jalal, the son of the late Mohiuddin Mollah, had planted the 300 guava saplings on 25 kathas of land and tended the orchard for two years until it began bearing fruit, local sources said. Under cover of darkness, unidentified attackers cut down every tree in the orchard.
Jalal said he had spent about 150,000 taka building the orchard and had been expecting a profitable harvest. He had hoped to sell about 300,000 taka worth of fruit this year.
“Alamgir, the son of the late Mohiuddin Mollah from Harihar Nagar village, suddenly claimed the land was his,” Jalal said. “We have had run-ins over this several times. He has threatened me in various ways and put a sickle to my son’s throat. He had cut down the netting on my plot once before. We have been farming this land for 53 years; it was bought by my grandfather. Now they have suddenly claimed it is theirs and keep threatening us with their political power. The attackers cut down all my trees. I have suffered a huge loss. The dream of producing fruit worth several lakhs is shattered.”
He demanded that those responsible be found and given exemplary punishment.
Md. Mamun Hossain Biswas, officer-in-charge of Jibannagar police station, said police visited the scene after receiving the complaint. “The matter is under investigation and necessary action will be taken,” he said.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report