DHAKA: Marriott International started setting up its Dhaka franchise--a 5-star hotel--on the land of poor women Johra Banu and Surot Banu.

The authority of the hotel does not know how much inherited lands of poor folks, shops of small traders, garages, mosque, even graveyard were grabbed to build the hotel in capital’s Joar-Sahara.

The construction of the 5-star JW Marriot hotel is underway. But hammers struck on hearts of Johra and Surot when they see that the hotel is being built on their inherited lands. There were their houses, families and a beautiful life…now those are only memories.

Jamuna Group, who signed the agreement with Marriott, is constructing the hotel with large cranes on 10-katha land of Johra and her relatives beside Kuril highway in Joar-Sahara area.

Surot Banu is too angry on Jamuna Group Chairman Nurul Islam Babul in this regard.

With tears in her eyes, Widow Surot Banu said, “I would not have to see the drama of Babul, if his bulldozers rammed me with my house on the day of grabbing my land.”

It was a sunny noon of February 28, 2013, Johra Banu cooked favorite dishes for her daughter and daughter’s husband. She did not know that they would not able to take the lunch together.

Roaring like giants, bulldozers of Jamuna Group Chairman appeared before Johra’s house while she was just preparing to take shower before serving the delicious food.

At that time, four masked goons of Jamuna Group entered into Johra Banu’s house and they said as per the order of Nurul Islam Babul Johra Banu and her family have to leave the place.

The goons forcibly dragged Johra and her little daughter out of the house before she realized what was happening.

Speechless Johra Banu was looking at the giant bulldozers that were crushing her house. It was not her house and it was her sky which was being bulldozed by Jamuna Group Chairman Nurul Islam Babul on the day.

While describing the rampage, Johra Banu said with tears, “The monster bulldozer fissured all of our belongings including TV, fridge, and furniture. I am traumatized on the rampage and couldn’t forget the cooked meal for lunch.”

Johra Banu’s younger sister Surat Banu; she looks pale and aged than elder Johra talked with laugh veiling the twinge inside.

She said, “I am getting old within few months and heard that they (Jamuna Group) are making a skyscraper hotel by grabbing our father’s property and it is not only the land but also our heart.”

She also cursed that the hotel would destroy soon with Jamuna Group owner Nurul Islam Babul.  

Azhar Ali, 40, cousin of Johra and Surat also lost his family land by the monstrous grasp of Jamuna Group and never got any compensation after urging several times.

He said, “It is rhetoric that their gang filed case against me of drug peddling and a Jamuna Group newspaper covered a series of false report on that.”   

Azhar Ali informed that the monster group grabbed more than 10-katha land and it is our land as per the land commission record.

Johra and Surat filed case against the group but it is hard to continue the case as they are homeless and penniless now.

A skyscraper luxurious international hotel chain JW Marriott is likely to build in ill-fated Johra-Surat’s land, grabbed forcibly by Jamuna Group.
 
BDST: 1850 HRS, OCT 28, 2013
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