Clash over control of Baptist mission land in Barisal

Two groups of people have clashed following a dispute over several acres of land of a Baptist Mission at a Christian colony in Barisal city.

The groups traded blames over the Friday’s clash.

Barisal Kotwali police said there had been a protracted dispute over the land between Khansons Group and the Christians living in the colony.

“Khansons Group claims that there is a High Court order in its favour. The two sides engaged in heated arguments when they (Khansons Group) went to take control of the land on Friday morning,” said Assistant Commissioner Azad Rahman.

“At one stage, the two groups were locked in a running battle,” he added.

The officer said police brought the situation under control promptly, averting a major trouble

Barisal Baptist Church member Pral Provakor Saha said landless Christian families had started to live on the land, owned by Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha, in 2000 and later a colony was built on 2.5 acres of land there.

The Sangha, “clandestinely and through fraudulent means,” sold the land to Olympic Properties Limited, a concern of Khansons Group, in 2012.

Landless Christians filed a suit, which was pending in the court, against the sale, he said.

Provakor said, “Khansons Group, backed by a group of goons, came to take control of the land. When obstructed they carried out attacks on Christians, leaving 3-4 injured.”

He said he had filed a general diary with police on May 12 on behalf of the colony residents anticipating such attacks.

Khansons Group General Manager Ansar Ali Hawlader said they had purchased the land to build a specialised hospital.

He claimed that most of the colony residents were supporting the Group, which also had High Court order in its favour.
Ansar said, “Those oppose to the eviction obstructed eight Christian families who willingly wanted to vacate the land. They carried out attacks without provocation.”

He claimed several people of Khansons Group were injured in the attacks.