Gaibandha Santals stage demo oppoing EPZ on arable land

Santals in Gaibandha stage a demo on Thursday 7 March 2024 opposing the move to set up an EPZ on arable land

Gaibandha, Mar 7 - Santals from Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha  staged demonstration and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner on Thursday to press home their 7-point demand including stopping government move to construct an Export Processing Zone(EPZ) on their arable land in Bagda Farm area. 

Justice for the killings of three Santal community members in 2016 and protection of their crop land are among their demands. 

Hundreds of Santal men and women from Santal villages in Gobindaganj came to Gaibandha town and marched the city's main streets before gathering at the Deputy Commissioner's office compound. 

Dr. Philimon Baske, President of Sahebganj Bagdafarm Bhumi Uddhar Sangram Committee, Rezaul Karim Master, General Secretary, Santal leader Priscilla Murmu, Advocate Sirajul Islam Babu, former General Secretary of District Bar Association, Jahangir Kabir Tanu and others spoke at a brief rally at the DC office premises. 

The speakers said that three Santals were killed in police firing during a triangular clash between police, sugar mill workers and Santals on November 6, 2016. 

They said the disputed land is the ancestral property of the Santals and no conspiracy will be tolerated regarding this property. 

If the EPZ is built on Santal land, the Santals will be homeless, they said.

They said they will never allow EPZ on their three-crop land. - UNB