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Press conference: The interim government is also trying to build an EPZ on the land of the Santals in Gaibandha
Press Conference: Interim government is also trying to build EPZ on the land of Santals in Gaibandha
Own Reporter
Dhaka
Updated: 19 June 2025, 14:03
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13 organizations organize press conference against the attempt to build EPZ on the land of Santals in GaibandhaPhoto: Prothom Alo
Press conference: The interim government is also trying to build an EPZ on the land of the Santals in Gaibandha
EPZ cannot be built by destroying three crop lands of Santals in Gobindaganj, Gaibandha. Before implementing government development projects, the cropland should be returned to the Santals through peaceful negotiations. Like the previous government, the current interim government is also trying to build EPZs on Santals’ land.
This was stated by speakers at a press conference at the Abdus Salam Hall of the National Press Club in the capital on Thursday morning. Thirteen organizations organized the press conference demanding ‘recognition of the legal rights of the Santals to their ancestral land in Gaibandha and protection of three-crop agricultural land’. ALRD Executive Director Shamsul Huda read out a written statement at the press conference. 
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Press conference: Interim government is also trying to build EPZ on Santal land in Gaibandha
Own reporter
Dhaka
Updated: 19 June 2025, 14:03
Follow

13 organizations organize press conference against attempts to build EPZ on Santal land in GaibandhaPhoto: Prothom Alo
EPZ cannot be built by destroying three crop lands of Santals in Gobindaganj, Gaibandha. Crop lands must be returned to Santals through peaceful negotiations before implementing government development projects. Like the previous government, the current interim government is also trying to build EPZ on Santal land.
This was stated by the speakers at a press conference held at the Abdus Salam Hall of the National Press Club in the capital on Thursday morning. Thirteen organizations organized the press conference demanding ‘recognition of the legal rights of the Santals to their ancestral lands in Gaibandha and protection of three-crop agricultural land’. ALRD Executive Director Shamsul Huda read out a written statement at the press conference.
On November 6, 2016, local Santals clashed with police and sugar mill workers and employees over sugarcane harvesting on the land of Sahebganj Bagda Farm in Gobindaganj Upazila under the jurisdiction of Rangpur Sugar Mill. Three people from the Santal community died after being shot. At least 30 people from both sides, including police members, were injured. Later, the Santals were evicted from the settlement built on the sugar mill land in a police operation. Since then, local Santals and various civic organizations have been protesting to recover and return the land.
Today’s written statement mentioned several demands. The first of the demands is to assess the environmental impact (EIA) and socio-economic impact (SIA) of the proposed project through an independent and impartial study conducted by appropriate experts in a proper and transparent process before the construction of the EPZ in the Gobindaganj Bagda Farm area. In addition, there is a demand to assess the long-term and far-reaching impact of the project on land, water, environment and agriculture in various regions besides the Gobindaganj Bagda Farm area. To ensure justice for Thomas Hembrom, Mangal Mardi and Ramesh Tudu, who were killed in the land protection movement, the maximum punishment for the criminals including Abul Kalam Azad and fair compensation to the families of the killed and injured are demanded today.
