A senior BNP leader has allegedly reoccupied a 150-acre government land in Sylhet’s Companiganj upazila, chancing upon the absence of strong rivals and lax law enforcement since 5 August last year.

Md Sahab Uddin, president of BNP’s unit in Companiganj upazila of Sylhet, has already leased out the land to stone traders, local allege. Two years ago, he was evicted from the same piece of land by Awami League-era local administrators.

On 5 August, the Awami League regime was deposed and in the afternoon Sahab Uddin’s gang returned to the same spot to tear down high-cost development project facilities. In total, they forcibly occupied more than 250-acre of public land.

The local administration reports that the then Awami League government began constructing a land port at a cost of Tk170 crore in Vholaganj with the assistance of the World Bank. At the same time, the Bangladesh Tourism Board and the district administration jointly initiated another project for the development of tourism. Two years ago, the local administration carried out an eviction drive to remove encroachers from government land. However, on 5 August, the land was re-occupied.

Sylhet's District Commissioner Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad stated that an eviction operation would soon be conducted to remove the encroachers. There was a case regarding the land, and the verdict went in favor of the government. The decision would be reviewed quickly, and action would be taken.

In June of the previous year, two contracting companies began the construction work of the land port, and the operational activities of the port are expected to start in July this year.

Sahab Uddin claims that a group has been targeting him to discredit him. He asserts that this group is continuously spreading false accusations. He denies ever occupying land and renting it to stone traders. Before the tourism development work started, he stored stones on three bighas of land. However, when the tourism project began in 2023, the administration evicted him and others. He further clarifies that Nirmal Kumar Singh is not his manager.

Sahab Uddin mentioned that after the eviction by the administration, he no longer stored stones there. The accusations of him or his associates re-occupying the land are completely false.

There are allegations that, to maintain control over government land, Sahab Uddin has consistently opposed the construction of the land port. One of the reasons for his opposition is that once the port is built, it will eliminate the opportunity for tax evasion on coal, limestone, and stones imported from India via LC.

Abdul Kayyum Chowdhury, President of Sylhet District BNP, said, "I will look into the allegations raised against him (Sahab Uddin). If the truth is clear, organizational action will be taken."