The lock placed on the Zakiganj Gas Field in Sylhet over demands for compensation and payment for acquired land was removed after 10 days.
Following discussions between the landowners and the upazila administration, Zakiganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sujit Kumar Chand visited the site on Thursday afternoon and personally unlocked the main gate of the gas field.
Representatives of the landowners, including former Zakiganj Upazila Parishad chairman and district Krishak Dal convener Iqbal Ahmed Tapadar, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis leader Maulana Mostafa Ahmed and other landowners, were present at the time.
According to the upazila administration, landowners locked the main gate of the gas field on July 13 demanding fair prices for their acquired land and compensation.
After the issue came to light, UNO Sujit Kumar Chand took steps to resolve the matter. He held meetings with the landowners, listened to their demands and discussed the issue with relevant officials of the district administration.
The discussions initially resulted in a decision to hand over compensation cheques to the landowners within the next 20 days. At the same time, efforts would be made to resolve the existing complications and pay the acquisition money within the next six months.
Satisfied with the administration’s assurances, the landowners agreed to remove the lock. The UNO later unlocked the main gate of the gas field in their presence.
In 2017, after Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (BAPEX) discovered gas in the Anandapur area of Zakiganj Municipality, the deputy commissioner acquired 16 keda (kiar) of land in the area, and trial operations of the gas field began.
However, the landowners have long complained that they had not received compensation or payment for the acquired land.
The landowners said they had been demanding compensation and payment for the acquisition since the gas field began operations. However, they later cooperated with the project in the national interest.
As years passed without receiving the money they were entitled to, frustration among the landowners grew. A recent meeting was held at the deputy commissioner’s office over the reclassification of the land, but no solution was reached.
As no decision was also made regarding the payment of compensation and acquisition money, the landowners eventually locked the gas field.
Iqbal Ahmed Tapadar, a representative of the landowners, said the price of the land had been set unreasonably low compared to current market rates.
“We have demanded a fair price for the land. The UNO has assured us that steps will be taken to provide the compensation cheques within 20 days and pay the acquisition money as soon as possible. Respecting that assurance, we have agreed to remove the lock for now,” he said.
Zakiganj UNO Sujit Kumar Chand said he had listened to the demands of the landowners after holding discussions with them.
“We have discussed the prompt handover of compensation cheques with senior officials concerned of the district administration. Efforts will be made to hand over the compensation cheques to the landowners within 20 days,” he said.
The UNO further said necessary steps were being taken to resolve all complications and pay the acquisition money within six months.
“As the landowners agreed to remove the lock following the administration’s assurances, I visited the site and unlocked the gate myself. As a result, the deadlock at the gas field has been resolved,” he said.
