“Such Fraud May Be First of Its Kind in Bangladesh”

Golam Mostofa, Tarash: “Oh Allah, where will I get the money! Going to court needs money, wherever I go I need money. Where will I get so much money? I sold my only 1.25 bigha of farmland to send my son abroad. With his hard-earned money, my son bought 1.5 bigha of land back home. The deed writer registered that land in his own name. My son lives abroad, and we are illiterate. Taking advantage of our ignorance and simplicity, the deed writer gravely deceived us. We have nothing except this 1.5 bigha. I want the land back, I want punishment for deed writer Mirza Abdur Rob.”

Nurul Islam (77) of Kahit village in Tarash municipality, Sirajganj, was saying this while wailing.

He added, “My son’s income abroad is very low. He cannot send money regularly. During Ramadan, we fasted eating only panta bhaat. We cannot buy food from the market due to lack of money. If I don’t get the land back, I may die of grief!”

Seeking remedy, Nurul Islam and his son Farhad Ali have submitted a written complaint against deed writer Mirza Abdur Rob to Sirajganj Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Md. Aminul Islam. Farhad’s mother Firoza Khatun signed the complaint on behalf of her son, who sent it from abroad. Copies of the same complaint have also been submitted to District Registrar Sharif Toraf Hossain, Tarash UNO Nusrat Jahan, and Sub-Registrar Sifat Mahmud. Copies were also sent to relevant offices.

Mirza Abdur Rob works as a deed writer at the Tarash Deed Writers’ Office. Nurul Islam and Mirza Abdur Rob live in the same village.

According to the written complaint, on February 22, 2021, Farhad Ali purchased 1.5 bigha of farmland in Kahit Mouza for Tk 7,26,000. The sellers were Md. Bablu, Kalam, and their two sisters Shamima and Sumi Khatun, children of late Soleman of Kahit Tetulia village in Tarash municipality. Buyer Farhad Ali’s father Nurul Islam gave the registration work to deed writer Mirza Abdur Rob. Farhad Ali lives in Dubai. His father cannot sign his own name. Taking advantage of this, deed writer Mirza Abdur Rob allegedly registered Farhad Ali’s purchased land in his own name. Deed No- 782/21.

Farhad Ali said, “We asked deed writer Mirza Rob for a certified copy of the deed. He delayed for a long time. Helpless, on December 26, 2024, we collected a copy through other means. But after August 5, land service activities became stagnant. Recently when we went to the land office for mutation and tax, we were told that according to the deed, the land belongs to deed writer Mirza Abdur Rob! We were never made to understand Abdur Rob’s deception, because we are the ones in possession of the land.”

Maulvi Md. Nazrul Islam, head of the Ibtedayi section of Ulipur Pachan Dakhil Madrasa and permanent resident of Kahit village, said, “Sellers Md. Bablu, Kalam, Shamima and Sumi Khatun are my nephews and nieces. They sold the land to Nurul Islam’s son Farhad Ali. I was present on the day of registration. Deed writer Abdur Rob and we live in the same village. He deceived us by taking advantage of our simple trust. Probably such fraud is the first of its kind in Bangladesh.”

Land sellers Md. Bablu and his two sisters Shamima and Sumi Khatun said, “We sold our land to Nurul Islam’s son Farhad Ali of Kahit village.” They have given a written confession regarding this.

Md. Hafiz Uddin, village head of Kahit, said, “Almost everyone in the village knows that Bablus’ land in Kahit Tetulia was bought by Nurul Islam’s son Farhad Ali. Now we hear Abdur Rob bought it. A village arbitration was supposed to be held last Monday. Abdur Rob postponed it citing illness and said Friday. He is basically buying time.” The village head added, “It is not possible to return the land through village arbitration unless deed writer Abdur Rob does it willingly.”

Deed writer Mirza Abdur Rob said, “The allegation against me is completely false. My land was leased to Nurul Islam’s son Farhad.”

UNO and Executive Magistrate Nusrat Jahan said, “The matter of the complaint will be looked into after discussion with the Sub-Registrar.”

Sub-Registrar Sifat Mahmud said, “This corruption happened in 2021. I was not the Sub-Registrar in Tarash at that time. Farhad Ali’s father Nurul Islam came with a written complaint. I wrote in red ink on the complaint copy: ‘Legal assistance will be provided as per rules.’”

Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Md. Aminul Islam said the complaint has been sent to District Registrar Sharif Toraf Hossain.

In this regard, District Registrar Sharif Toraf Hossain said, “Action will be taken as per rules after verifying the truth of the complaint.”