Farmers in Derai, Sunamganj, have alleged that their paddy was stolen. On the afternoon of Tuesday (12 May), miscreants cut and took paddy in broad daylight from land in Boram haor belonging to farmers of Bhangadahar and Daiyargaon villages. When police arrived on being informed, they fled with boats full of paddy.

As the haor water began to recede, the farmers' paddy began to resurface. At that point some people from Noagaon-Santoshpur, Bausi and Chandrapur entered the haor by boat carrying local weapons and began cutting and taking ripe paddy from under the water. Farmers who were there informed Derai police station, and on seeing the police the gang fled in engine boats loaded with paddy.

Babul Das, union parishad member for ward 9 of Tarol union, said: "Fourteen annas of the sixteen annas of paddy in Boram haor have gone under water. On top of that, some people from Bausi, Noagaon-Santoshpur and Nachni Chandrapur are looting paddy from the haor."

Haribal Das, a farmer of Bhangadahar village on the edge of Boram haor, alleged: "People from several villages are forcibly cutting paddy and taking it from the haor. Out of fear, the farmers did not stop them but informed the police, and the looters fled on seeing the police."

Derai police station sub-inspector Mahmudul Haque Masum said: "A drive was carried out after we received a complaint that ripe paddy was being forcibly cut in Boram haor. But the people taking the paddy sensed the police drive and quickly fled the haor by boat."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.