At a press conference held on Monday (October 7) at a residential hotel in Kishoreganj, former chairman of Ashtagram Upazila Parishad and Awami League leader Mostak Ahmed Kamal accused a BNP leader of illegally occupying the Deoghar Jalmahal in Ashtagram Upazila.
Joined by Bajitpur Upazila BNP General Secretary Moniruzzaman Monir, Humaypur Union BNP President Abdur Rashid, and General Secretary Jahangir Adel, Mostak Ahmed Kamal made the allegations public through a written statement.
According to Kamal, he had legally leased the Deoghar Jalmahal for one year through Anita Rani Das, President of the Bhatinagar Fishermen’s Cooperative Society, who managed the lease along with five others. Although the lease was in Rani’s name, Kamal claimed that he had paid all the required funds. He further stated that he had been peacefully managing the Jalmahal and fishing without any interference.
However, Kamal accused Helal Khan, a former chairman of Humaypur Union Parishad and former vice-president of Bajitpur Upazila BNP, of taking over the Jalmahal with the help of Anita Rani Das. Kamal alleged that Khan, using his political influence, forcibly evicted him from the Jalmahal and began selling the fish from the site.
Kamal also claimed that Anita Rani and her husband Ramcharan Das, under Khan’s influence, had filed a false legal case against him, accusing him of coercing them into signing contracts and giving money. Kamal said he had initially stepped in to help Anita Rani pay the lease when she was unable to afford the government-set price, but since August 5, she had ceased communication with him, allegedly due to political pressures.
Expressing concerns for his safety, Kamal revealed that he has been receiving threats and harassment. He appealed to the authorities for help in reclaiming his rights to the Jalmahal.
Attempts to contact BNP leader Helal Khan for comment were unsuccessful, as his mobile phone was not answered. Similarly, Anita Rani’s phone was found switched off, preventing any statement from her side.The situation remains tense, as Kamal seeks administrative intervention to regain control of the Jalmahal, while the alleged involvement of local political figures stirs further controversy.