Case filed against Bhawal Resort owner; summons issued

A civil lawsuit has been filed to reclaim the land allegedly grabbed by the owner of Bhawal Resort in Gazipur.

The case was filed with the court of Gazipur Joint District Judge Nazmun Nahar today, said Jahangir Hossain Sarkar, the plaintiff's lawyer.

All the plaintiffs were present in court during the hearing, he said, adding that the court took cognizance of the litigation and ordered the summons. 

The defendants have been ordered to appear before the court on 6 November, he added.

Meanwhile, the Gazipur district administration has started the process to recover the 3.68 acres of forest land occupied by Bhawal Resort, confirmed deputy commissioner of the district.

The case 

The plaintiffs in the case include Freedom Fighter Md Bazlul Haque, his brother Md Sirajul Haque and his sister Samsunnahar.

The main accused in the case are Amber Group Chairman Showkat Aziz Russell. The other accused are Rafiqul Islam Master, Bhawal Resort Manager Sumon, and Md Kamrul Islam.

The Proforma defendants in the case are Gazipur additional deputy commissioner (revenue), assistant commissioner (land), and assistant land officer of Mirzapur Union. 

According to the case documents, 1.02-acre property of the plaintiff at Baripara mouja in Noljahni village of Gazipur Sadar upazila was forcibly seized by the defendants on 1 January 2022. 

"However, fearing for their lives, they did not dare file a case until now," lawyer Hossain Sarkar told TBS.

"We heard that former police chief Benazir Ahmed owns 25% of the resort. We don't know his address, so he hasn't been included in the case. If we find his address, he will be added to the case."

Locals said that in 2013, one of the leading industrial groups of the country, Partex Group, established Bhawal Resort. The owner of the group was BNP leader MA Hashem. 

After his death his son Showkat Aziz Russell currently owns the resort, they said.

They alleged that the land of many helpless local people was forcibly taken for the resort. 

Besides, they said former Benazir Ahmed owns 25% of Bhawal Resort without any investment, a claim this newspaper could not independently verify.  

Eviction from forest land

Abul Fateh Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, deputy commissioner of Gazipur district, said there was a stay order on a case filed by Bhawal Resort regarding the recovery of 3.68 acres of forest land, which prevented the district administration from taking any action.

However, last Thursday, the High Court revoked the stay order and dismissed Bhawal Resort's suit, he added.  "As a result, there is no longer any obstacle to carrying out the eviction operation."

He also noted that the legal eviction process has started. A seven-day notice will be given as per the law, followed by the eviction operation. Completing the legal process may take a few days.