Lakshmipur man reclaims land after 43 years of legal battle

A man in Lakshmipur’s Raipur Upazila has reclaimed possession of nearly 1.4 hectares of land after a legal battle that lasted more than four decades.

On Monday, a court delegation handed over the disputed land to Bahar Patwary and his family with traditional drumming, in line with court instructions.

Bahar, a resident of Ayub Patwary Bari in Ward-9 of Raipur Union No. 10, received the land following a long struggle that began in 1983.

Locals said the court team arrived at the site in the morning, conducted a fresh measurement, and placed red boundary flags before formally transferring possession.

 “The handover was carried out with drums as per court orders,” said Humayun Kabir, an officer of the District and Sessions Judges’ Court. “The eviction process is not yet fully complete.”

Court officials said the dispute involved 356 decimals of land in Kazi Char Mouza of Raipur between the late Abid, Taslim, Siraj, Momtaz, and Billal families.

In 1983, Abid and Hanif filed a civil case with the Lakshmipur Assistant Judges’ Court over the ownership.

After a lengthy legal process, the court in 2004 declared Abid and Hanif as the lawful owners. The opposing party later appealed to the High Court, but the appeal was dismissed.

Following the court’s order, the administration evicted the illegal occupants and restored the land to its rightful owners.

Bahar, son of plaintiff Hanif, said: “After 43 years, we have finally regained our land with the court’s help. My grandfather Ayub Ali and uncle Loni Mia were killed over this land, and six cows were also slaughtered at that time.

 “Now, by getting justice, our respect for the court has deepened even more.”