They made the valid question if they lose their valuable land they inherited from their forefathers and the new town being built on such land how they would survive as the land now produce crops to feed their families. The most sensitive question is that they can’t abandon their forefathers’ graves and allow desecration of their resting places. They raise question that evicting households can’t be justified to distribute such land to the wealthy and powerful people. It means others will take possession of the land by way of buying expensive housing plots while they will become homeless to look for rehabilitation at other places. It may not be affordable to many despite the fact that they would get compensation. They said they would not let it happen.
Opposing the government or resisting new plans is very difficult for people when the state has unlimited power to ignore their opposition. It is true that the government can take plans to build new cities and create new accommodation for people in and around the city. The city is steadily expanding. But the fact is that it makes many homeless while the rich buy housing plots in their names or against the name of their family members as a means of amassing future wealth; because, the price of land multiplies over time and it is the safest investment for future.
The experience of people already removed from ancestral land in other areas around the city such as Purbachal or Uttara shows that the compensation is not enough to buy new land and build new homes. People fall victims of harassment and have to pay bribes to get payment of compensation. When a whole village community has to be evacuated it destroys the age-old social bond and they never get the fraternity back again. So Rajuk must listen to the perils of the villagers as they are facing the generational challenge whether or not to become homeless.
Rajuk officials said the scheme named “Keraniganj Model Town” would not affect people’s existing homestead and the one should not pay heed to such protest to crate misgivings. It is unfounded and ill motivated. But we must say it is also unfortunate for the villagers to part with their ancestral land. Their risks are too big to ignore.
