Farmer Killed After Being Crushed by Excavator While Blocking Pond Digging on Farmland

District Correspondent 

A farmer was brutally murdered by being crushed under an excavator in Mohanpur Upazila of Rajshahi for obstructing the digging of a pond on his cropland.

The deceased farmer is named as Jubayer Hossain (25). He is a resident of Boro Palsha village of the upazila.

The incident took place at around 9 pm on Wednesday, December 17. After the incident, angry locals set the excavator on fire.

The victim’s family alleged that Zubair was deliberately killed by being thrown under the wheels of an excavator for obstructing the digging of a pond on his rice field. They demanded a fair trial in the incident.

Police have arrested the accused driver, Abdul Hamid (28), a resident of Kadimhamjani Uttarpara area of ​​Tangail district.

Locals allege that influential groups in various areas of Rajshahi are forcibly digging ponds on cropland without informing or obtaining permission from farmers. Although these ponds are later leased out for profit, the agricultural land is rapidly deteriorating.

Eyewitnesses said that while digging a pond in Palsha village, Zubair Hossain and the locals interfered. At that time, the locals got into an argument with some people from Bhimnagar village. At one stage, Zubair was thrown under the excavator and killed.

Later, locals rescued him and took him to Mohanpur Upazila Health Complex, where the doctor on duty declared him dead.

Mohanpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Fahima Binte Akhtar visited the scene and the house of the deceased and spoke to family members and locals.

UNO Fahima Bint Akhtar said that the incident took place due to opposition to digging a pond on cropland. At one stage of the Bagbitanda, Zubair was injured after being hit by an excavator and later died. After the incident, the angry crowd set fire to the excavator. The police have arrested the driver. Legal action will be taken against those involved in the incident.

Mohanpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) SM Moinuddin said that necessary legal action is being taken in this incident.