55 acres of forest land occupied by Hasan Mahmud’s brother recovered

The land was illegally occupied for 20 years

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on Wednesday recovered 55 acres of forest land in Chattogram’s Banshkhali upazila that was illegally occupied by Shafiul Azam, brother of Awami League leader and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin, popularly known as Hasan Mahmud.

ACC Deputy Director Farid Ahmed told Dhaka Tribune that the land was occupied for around 20 years by Shafiul and some of his associates.

The land is part of the Nishchinta Reserve Forest

The recovered land is located in Banshkhali’s Timurkhali area and is part of the Nishchinta Reserve Forest.

The ACC filed a case in 2019

The ACC filed a case against Shafiul and 13 others in 2019 under the Forest Conservation Act and Anti Corruption Commission Act.

The accused are now on the run

Following the recovery of the land, the accused persons, including Shafiul, are now absconding.

The ACC is investigating the matter

The ACC is currently investigating the matter and is trying to arrest the accused persons.