15 Garo Families are in the threat of Eviction in Sylhet
Fifteen Garo families in Khadimnagar, Sylhet who have been living there for six to seven decades are now living in fear of eviction due to threats from a housing company. Residents alleged that people from Chairman City Housing Company are harassing them in various ways in order to evict them. The company men are reportedly putting up boundary pillars and pressuring them in various ways to leave their land. Still, about 80–90 residents along with 15 Garo and one Muslim families of Fisheries Chhara Par in Kallagram, Khadimnagar Union of Sylhet Sadar Upazila are spending their days in fear and uncertainty.
It is known that, 16 families live there on 25.7 decimals of land, with both tin-roofed and semi-permanent houses. They pay holding tax to the Union Parishad, and adults have National ID cards (NID) with the settlement’s address. On December 24, 2025 the company men started dumping soil to fill the stream. When the residents protested, they brought police. The police said the stream belongs to the government and soil cannot be dumped there. Then the residents went to the UNO and submitted a written complaint. After that the harassment stopped for some time, but recently it started again. They come late at night and threaten the residents to leave their homes. Otherwise, they will demolish the houses or even kill the residents.
It was seen that soil has recently been dumped on the eastern side of the stream. Crossing the stream and entering the Garo settlement on the west side. Concrete pillars belonging to the housing company were seen in several places around the settlement. Because of limited space, houses are built very close to each other. Some homes are made with tin walls and roofs, while others are semi-permanent structures. At the end of the settlement, signs were visible that the natural flow of the stream had been altered. Residents showed where the water used to flow before; now the housing company has filled that area with soil and fenced it with bamboo. Odor smells spread everywhere. Waste coming from the BSCIC industrial area flows through the stream, and residents live with this odor every day. Due to lack of space, sanitation and drainage facilities are also inadequate.
An elderly resident of the village named Mary Chisam expressed her concerns and said, since the time of my parents and grandparents we have been living here. I am now 75 years old. At this age we are suddenly hearing that we will be evicted. We are being told we must leave with our children. We are poor people where will we go now?” She added, this area used to be jungle. We cleared the jungle and built our homes. At first, we had small huts. Our Father (the head of the church in the Christian community) helped us, and we also contributed to build our houses. She further added, this is the first time we are hearing that we must leave. The earlier people never said such things; otherwise we would not have built homes here. Now the land is being filled with soil and we are being told to leave. Suddenly, where will we go? We have no place to go.
In response to the incident, residents of Fisheries Chhara Par in Kallagram, Khadimnagar Union of Sylhet Sadar Upazila have already submitted a written complaint to the administration to prevent eviction. The Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) has assured them that they will not be evicted without rehabilitation.
News link:
2. https://bn.viewsbangladesh.com/15-garo-families-in-sylhet-face-eviction-after-seven-decades/
