Bagerhat, July 3 (V7N) — Serious allegations have surfaced against a prominent local figure, Kuber Chandra Halder, in the Serestadarbari area of Morelganj Municipality, Bagerhat, over the illegal occupation and sale of cremation ground land traditionally used by the local Hindu community.
 
On Thursday at 11:00 a.m., members of the local Sanatan (Hindu) community held a protest and press conference to voice their concerns and seek administrative intervention. According to the complainants, Halder—reportedly a retired clerk from the Sub-Registry Office—has allegedly forged documents to claim ownership over land belonging to a long-standing cremation site and adjoining public property.
 
For over six to seven decades, the community has been using approximately three decimals (about 0.03 acres) of land in the Serestadarbari area for conducting last rites. The cremation site, originally used informally, was later converted into a public crematorium with participation and recognition from the broader community. Protesters claim that Halder recently occupied the land overnight, constructing temporary structures before selling off plots, using allegedly falsified papers for both the crematorium land and adjacent government land.
 
In a formal complaint submitted to the Assistant Commissioner (Land) office, local residents including Kajal Kanti Saha and others have signed a petition demanding the immediate recovery of the occupied land.
 
During the press conference, key community members spoke out, including Dipak Karmakar, General Secretary of the Central Harisabha Temple Committee; Asim Karmakar, Secretary of the Cremation Committee; Suman Mali, Sanjib Poddar, Joydeb Roy, former Ward Councillor Nasima Begum, Khokon Shikder, and Ashutosh Shil, among others.
 
In response to the accusations, Kuber Chandra Halder denied any wrongdoing. He stated that the disputed land was purchased in 1995 in the name of his wife, Sunata Rani Halder, comprising 26 decimals, and that the land has since been mutated and registered under their name with all necessary land taxes duly paid. Halder emphasized that the property in question does not include any cremation ground.
 
Assistant Commissioner (Land) Badar Uddoza confirmed receiving the complaint and stated that a land surveyor has been instructed to conduct a field inquiry. Legal action will follow based on the outcome of the investigation, he assured.
 
The incident has stirred significant unrest in the community, with many expressing concern over the possible erasure of religious and cultural rights tied to the cremation ground. Local leaders have urged the administration to act swiftly to prevent further encroachment and restore community trust.
 
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