28/12/2025, Voice Of Minority-VOM:- Satkhira, Bangladesh — A Hindu family in southern Bangladesh has alleged weeks of confinement, intimidation, and illegal surveillance amid an escalating land dispute, raising renewed concerns over minority rights, land grabbing, and administrative inaction.
The family of the late Sunil Mondol has been effectively confined for more than 17 days at their ancestral homestead in Champaphul Kalibari Bazaar area of Kaliganj upazila in Satkhira district, according to victims, local residents, and rights activists.
Walls, Barbed Wire and Constant Surveillance
According to family members, rival claimant Samad Gazi and his son Alamgir Kabir surrounded the Mondol household with brick walls and barbed-wire fencing, cutting off free movement in and out of the property. They allegedly installed four CCTV cameras around the house — including near the kitchen, courtyard, bathroom area, and behind the residence — enabling constant monitoring of the family’s daily activities.
Family members say women are forced to use makeshift bathroom facilities covered with plastic sheets, while their movements inside the home are visible through the cameras, amounting to a serious violation of privacy and dignity.
“We are living like prisoners in our own home,” said Madhabi Mondol, the widow of Sunil Mondol.
Disputed Land and Long Legal Battle
The dispute centres on several acres of land that the Mondol family claims as ancestral and legally inherited property. Madhabi Mondol said the family has lived on the land for generations and formally settled there in 2008 through inheritance.
She said the family legally owns 41 decimals of purchased land and approximately three bighas of inherited property, including land restored through rulings of the Vested Property Tribunal. Despite this, she alleged, Samad Gazi’s family forcibly occupied portions of the land as early as 2012 following physical attacks on the family.
The rival claimants have reportedly relied on disputed deeds dating back decades, including alleged forged documents and a controversial transfer involving an Indian national. A petition challenging the land registration is currently pending before the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue).
Court Orders Ignored, Violence Continues
Despite a status quo order issued by the revenue court in August, the Mondol family alleges that dozens of hired men entered the disputed land, cut down fruit and forest trees, and looted produce worth hundreds of thousands of taka.
Following Sunil Mondol’s death on November 19, the situation deteriorated further. In December, new walls and barbed-wire fencing were erected, fully enclosing the family compound.
Although local land officials instructed the alleged occupiers to halt further actions, family members say enforcement was absent. Officials reportedly advised filing a general diary with police rather than taking immediate action.
Threats and Fear for Life
The family claims they have received repeated threats of forced eviction and nighttime demolition of their home. They allege that Samad Gazi openly boasts of past violent crimes and political influence, warning that no legal remedy would protect them.
Fearing for their lives, Sunil Mondol’s children, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, and relatives have appealed to the authorities for urgent protection.
Political Silence and Local Pressure
Local opposition leaders say fear and political pressure have silenced many residents. Several community members alleged that Samad Gazi benefited from past political connections, creating an environment where few dare to speak out.
Leaders from opposition parties and rights groups who visited the site described the situation as “inhuman” and called for immediate removal of surveillance equipment and restoration of the family’s freedom of movement.
Representatives of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) said the case reflects a broader pattern of intimidation and land dispossession faced by minority families across the country.
Conflicting Claims
Alamgir Kabir denied the allegations, claiming that the Mondol family owns far less land than they assert and accusing them of occupying more property than legally entitled. He said the fencing was erected to protect land claimed by his family.
However, land officials acknowledged the severity of the situation. Assistant Commissioner (Land) Moinuddin Khan described the confinement as “inhumane” and said assurances were given that the structures would be removed if a pending verdict goes in favour of the Mondol family.
The Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) said the matter would be heard on the scheduled date.
Wider Concerns
Rights advocates warn that the case highlights deep-rooted problems of land grabbing, misuse of surveillance, and lack of swift administrative response — particularly when minority families are involved.
As the family remains confined behind walls and barbed wire, activists say the incident underscores the urgent need for stronger legal enforcement to protect vulnerable communities and uphold the rule of law in Bangladesh.
