"Two former UP chairmen -- union unit Awami League president Abul Kalam Fakir and upazila unit BNP general secretary Zahangir Alam Bachchu instigated several locals to build the market after grabbing the canal land," said Mohammad Mofizur Rahman, present chairman of Balidia UP, also general secretary of the union unit AL.
Water Development Board (WDB) in Magura has already served notices on 35 people of Borolia village, including Abul Kalam Fakir, his son Rafikul Islam, and Zahangir Alam Bachchu, to demolish the market illegally constructed on the canal land, official sources said.
When contacted over cell phone, Abul Kalam Fakir denied his involvement in grabbing the canal and said, "Local people took initiative to build the market as they were in a crying need of it at the village."
When asked about his ownership of a room at the market he said, "Not I, my son owns a shop at the market."
The official records however, confirmed Abul Kalam's possession of a shop at the under construction market.
Zahangir Alam Bachchu claimed that they built the market following 'verbal permission' from the WDB.
He admitted his ownership of a shop at the market.
The eviction notices served to the 35 people separately by Magura WDB also ordered them to demolish the market on public land with their own initiative within May 31, official sources said.
As the people concerned did not remove their illegal structures within the specified time and continued their illegal construction work, the officials of Magura WDB are getting ready to demolish the illegal establishments, they added.
"We have already sought financial and legal support from our higher authorities and local administration to demolish the illegal market built on a part of Madhumati-Nabaganga irrigation canal," Executive Engineer of WDB in Magura Apurbo Kumar Biswas told this correspondent a few days ago.
The canal from Shirgram village under Babukhali union in Mohammadpur upazila to Rajapur through Bororia village was excavated under Madhumati-Nabaganga irrigation project in 1984-85 financial year to facilitate irrigation of local croplands, sources at WDB office in Magura said.
When contacted, Mohammadpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Shamsuddoza said, "I have already submitted a written report to the deputy commissioner in Magura regarding canal grabbing and illegal construction of the market. The land belongs to Water Development Board and so, it is their responsibility to evict the illegal occupants."
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