On February 22, fresh protests erupted in Sandeshkhali as hundreds of villagers from Bermajur area demonstrated against the alleged “land grabbing” by Sheikh Sirajuddin, brother of Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan. The protest took a volatile turn, with a hut beside a shallow water pond set on fire, marking heightened tensions in the region.
Villagers, expressing their grievances, accused Sirajuddin and Shahjahan of usurping their land. They voiced frustration over the lack of response from the police when complaints are raised. One resident stated, “The police never register our complaints. Sirajuddin and his brother Shahjahan have usurped our land. Whenever we approach the police, they ask us to approach Shahjahan and Sirajuddin.”
Senior police officers, including Deputy Inspector General of Police Basirhat Bhaskar Mukherjee and Superintendent of Police Basirhat Hossain Mehdi Rahman, assured residents that their complaints would be registered. The villagers, however, expressed apprehension about potential reprisals from local Trinamool members once the police personnel leave.
Similar protests unfolded in the Jhupkhali area of Sandeshkhali, where locals made analogous allegations of land grabbing. The incidents underscore the escalating tensions over land-related disputes, bringing attention to the need for a resolution to prevent further unrest in the region.
