Ex-Student Wing Leader Accused of Extorting Buffalo Farmers in Patuakhali

A former leader of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) faces serious allegations of extorting local livestock owners by demanding protection money to allow buffalo grazing on public land in the southern coastal district of Patuakhali.

The alleged extortion scheme has unfolded across the Lalchar region within the 1st Ward of Chandradwip Union, situated in the Bauphal Upazila of Patuakhali. Local buffalo farmers claim that Mainuddin, 27, a former activist associated with the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has been forcing herders to pay a fixed fee of 200 taka per buffalo to access government-owned pastureland.

Farmers operating in the remote riverine island region state that those who refuse to comply face aggressive intimidation and are forcibly barred from grazing their livestock on the public lands.

Pasture Constraints Burden Coastal Farmers

Rezaul Kha, a local livestock owner, stated that herders have traditionally grazed their herds across the open meadows of Lalchar for years without hindrance. However, the situation deteriorated when Mainuddin recently established a mandatory fee structure, warning that any farmer who failed to pay would be evicted from the pastures. Left with no practical alternative to feed their animals, farmers complied with the demands.

Kha claimed that fees have already been extracted for 478 buffaloes, representing a substantial sum extracted from small-scale agriculturalists.

“Many families in these riverine char areas depend entirely on public pastureland to feed their livestock. Having to pay extra money to graze our animals drives up operational expenses significantly. Under these conditions, earning a sustainable living from buffalo farming becomes almost impossible.”

— Idris Dalal, Local Livestock Owner

Accused Denies Allegations as Police Await Formal Complaint

When contacted for comment regarding the extortion claims, Mainuddin dismissed the accusations while declining to offer a detailed statement over the phone. He claimed to be visiting a patient at a local hospital, inviting reporters to meet him in person while advising journalists to verify the claims thoroughly before publishing.

Meanwhile, local administration and law enforcement authorities confirmed that they are monitoring the situation in Chandradwip Union. Sirajul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bauphal Police Station, assured that police would launch a formal investigation and initiate legal action as soon as an official written complaint is lodged by the affected farmers.

The coastal char areas of Patuakhali, isolated by river tributaries, rely heavily on cattle and buffalo rearing as a primary economic driver. Extortion practices targeting public pastures threaten the livelihoods of smallholders who lack alternative land for grazing.