ABOUTZIACOLONY136FAMILY
136 LANDLESS FAMILIES LIVE IN ZIA COLONY, LOCATED ON THE BANKS OF THE ANDHARMANIK RIVER IN ITBARIA VILLAGE OF TIAKHALI UNION IN KALAPARA UPAZILA OF PATUAKHALI DISTRICT. DUE TO THEIR HOMELESSNESS, THE GOVERNMENT ALLOWED THEM TO SETTLE ON THE BANGLADESH WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD EMBANKMENT IN 2004. FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS, DESPITE VARIOUS ADVERSITIES, INCLUDING FOREST CLEARANCE, THEY HAVE BEEN LIVING ON THE EMBANKMENT. LIVING OUTSIDE THE EMBANKMENT, THEY FACE VARIOUS NATURAL DISASTERS SUCH AS CYCLONES, TIDAL WAVES, AND ABNORMAL TIDES EVERY DAY. DESPITE THESE CHALLENGES, THEY HAVE BEEN EARNING A LIVING BY FISHING, AND WORKING IN BRICK KILNS AS CONSTRUCTION AND AGRICULTURAL LABORERS. THE SETTLEMENT HAS A CHILD WELFARE PRIMARY SCHOOL, A MADRASA, AND A MOSQUE.
ATAGLANCE ZIACOLONY136FAMILY
JUSTIFICATIONFORCAMPAIGN
A four-lane bridge and a six-lane connecting road are already being constructed over the Andarmanik River at Payra Port. About 60% project has been completed.
The Payra Port Authority is constructing a 5.5-kilometer-long road over the embankment as an alternative route for short-term use.
The embankment has a broad brick road that can be expanded to join the four-lane highway leading to Payra Port.
No families will be displaced if the road is constructed on the embankment without increasing its width.
Behind Zia Colony lies a vast expanse of land owned by various companies, including government-recorded lands, government-owned lands, and riverfront properties. These private corporations are attempting to displace 136 landless families to take advantage of the Payra Port.
Despite rehabilitating 3,423 families displaced due to land acquisition for the Payra Port, the Payra Port Authority has announced that no rehabilitation, compensation, or assistance will be provided to 136 landless families in the Zia Colony.
Community mobilization
The community was first informed about the proposed Payra Port alternative road construction.
Illegal action, violence, and administrative revenge prevented many from speaking out.
Community mobilization efforts were initiated.
Through a series of community meetings, discussions were held on various issues, and Community leaders were elected. The meetings focused on strategies for demanding rehabilitation, and a consensus was reached among the community members.
Human Chain
136 landless families organized a massive human chain at the Kalapapara Press Club.
136 landless families were demanded to be rehabilitated before being evicted.
They raise public awareness about the plight of 136 landless families.
They appealed to the media to support their cause.
The meetings focused on strategies for demanding rehabilitation, and a consensus was reached among the community members.
They Reached out to civil society leaders of the Kalapapara Environment and Public Safety Forum and the Barisal Divisional Environment and Public Safety Forum, urging them to advocate on their behalf.
Application Submission
An application for rehabilitation was submitted to the Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) on behalf of 136 landless families.
During the discussions, There offered to pay each family Tk 10,000 in compensation for their relocation.
The community representatives rejected this offer, resulting in the temporary halt of the road construction project.
Media Mobilization
Media mobilization continued. As a result, reports highlighting the community's situation were published in national newspapers and various local newspapers.
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The contractor in collusion with the Payra Port Authority, plans to start road construction by evicting families again.
The port authority continues to negotiate and tries to create divisions within the community by offering money. Some people accept the money and start working according to the port authority's wishes, even moving a house. However, due to community pressure, they later back down.
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Video clip of a conspiracy to evict 136 landless families.
Fact-Finding Visit
A fact-finding visit and Press Conference were conducted for 136 landless families in Zia Colony by a joint initiative of the Barishal Divisional Environment and Public Safety Forum and Kalapara Environment and Public Safety Mancha, involving journalists from local and national newspapers.
A detailed report on 136 landless families was prominently featured on the front pages of local and national newspapers.
Massive Protest
Without any notice, a contracting company arrived with an excavator, attempting to evict 136 landless families, even though discussions were ongoing. The community staged a massive protest demanding rehabilitation, and the contractors, in a blatant disregard for human life, ordered the excavator to be driven over the protesters.
However, due to the intensity of the protests and demands for rehabilitation, the contractors were forced to retreat. On the same day, community representatives met with the Upazila Executive Officer and informed him of the incident.
The Upazila Executive Officer immediately issued a Facebook post, "Neither the Upazila administration, Kalapara, nor the Upazila Land Office, Kalapara, has issued any orders to evict the 136 families residing near Zia Colony for road construction. The Upazila administration has previously decided that no eviction activities will be carried out until the 136 families' places of residence are secured. The concerned contractor has been instructed to halt work."
Memorandum Submition
136 landless families attempted to meet with the Chairman of Payra Port, Rear Admiral Abdullah Al Mamun Chowdhury, to submit a memorandum regarding their demands. However, the Chairman initially refused to meet with them. Subsequently, the community, both men and women, staged a large-scale protest in front of the main gate of Payra Port. Eventually, the Chairman agreed to meet with a four-member delegation from the community. The delegation included Ibrahim Shikari,Mohammad Forkan Hawladar, and Laila Begum, representatives of the affected families, and Mohammad Nazrul Islam, a member of the Kalapaara Environment and Public Safety Mancha. The delegation met with the Chairman and submitted a written memorandum demanding rehabilitation. The Chairman accepted the memorandum and held a meeting with the delegation, along with four senior officials from Payra Port, for over 30 minutes. He discussed the legal complexities involved in rehabilitating the landless families but assured the delegation of Payra Port's humanitarian support for their rehabilitation.
In the evening, Assistant Engineer (Old) Shahidul Islam, Engineering Department, Payra Port, and representatives of the contracting company, met with community leaders to discuss the construction of the road by reducing the width of the road without demolishing houses. Community leaders suggested that they would not object if the road was built according to the existing embankment extent.
The land was surveyed in accordance with the road design with the Payra Port, the contracting company and community representatives. It was found that at least 88 houses must be demolished if the road is built.
A press conference was held at Dhaka Reporters Unity and a memorandum was submitted to the Advisor to the Ministry of Shipping demanding the rehabilitation of 136 landless families.
Payra Port Authority once again planned to forcibly construct a road without providing proper rehabilitation.
To ensure their safety, the community hung large banners at various points along the road, displaying the Upazila Executive Officer's Facebook post as a directive. They urged the Payra Port Authority and the contracting firm to abide by this order.
Community representative attended the BIEP2025 conference in Dhaka and presented their situation to the attendees. They also informed Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of TIB, verbally about the issue and he assured them of discussions at the policy-making level. Dr. Iftekharuzzaman requested that all documents related to the matter be sent to his email. Subsequently, all documents were sent to Dr. Iftekharuzzaman's email.
Joint Meeting
The Upazila administration convened a joint meeting between community representatives, the Upazila administration, the Payra Port Authority, and the contracting firm. At the beginning of the meeting, the Upazila Executive Officer publicly reprimanded the representative of the contracting firm for instructing workers to drive an excavator over the protesting community members and demanded a public apology. The contractor representative apologized to everyone. It was decided in the meeting that the Upazila administration would allocate government-owned land to each family in Zia Colony. The Payra Port Authority would raise the level of this allocated land by filling it with sand, and they would also provide financial assistance for relocating the houses. After the land is filled, the families will be relocated there. Construction of the road along the embankment will begin the following day, ensuring a minimum of 30 feet of space between the houses and the construction area. A community representative will oversee the road construction. The Upazila administration, specifically the Assistant Commissioner, will demarcate the boundaries for the road construction. The Upazila administration will quickly send a letter to the Ministry of Land to allocate plots for the landless families of Zia Colony, and the Upazila Executive Officer, Mr. Mohibul Islam, will endeavor to implement this quickly.
The Upazila administration has marked government-owned land in Itbariya village of Tiyakhali Union with red flags as part of the rehabilitation process for the 136 landless families.
MD. Tauhedul Islam Shahazada
E D, Prantojon
+880 1711183330
www.prantojon.org
Kulsum Place (9th Floor), Battala, Barishal.
Saifullah Mahmud
Project Coordinator
+880 1322885938
www.prantojon.org
Kalapara, Pathuakhali
MD. Nazrul Islam Campaign Officer
+880 1736149010
www.prantojon.org
Kalapara, Pathuakhali