Sunil Gangopadhyay's ancestral home reclaimed from BNP leader's occupation

The ancestral home of renowned Bengali litterateur Sunil Gangopadhyay in Madaripur has been reclaimed by authorities after it was allegedly taken over by BNP leaders.

On Tuesday (September 10), the Dasar Upazila administration, along with the army, regained control of the property. 

BNP leader Sohel Howladar, former legal affairs secretary of Kalkini Upazila (now Dasar Upazila), is accused of the takeover attempt. Howladar’s house is located in Pathuriarpar, Kazi Bakai Union, Dasar Upazila.

According to local sources, Sunil Gangopadhyay’s ancestral home is situated in East Maijpara village of Dasar Upazila. The property was reportedly seized on September 7 by Sohel Howladar, who, as the Open Market Sales (OMS) dealer for the area, had stored rice at the location. He allegedly demolished the Deputy Commissioner’s signboard marking the house.

Upon hearing about the illegal occupation, the local administration, led by acting Upazila Nirbahi Officer Uttam Kumar Das, reclaimed the property on Tuesday afternoon with the help of the army and police forces.

Subal Biswas, a poet and historian from Madaripur, condemned the incident, saying, "It is unacceptable that anyone would attempt to seize the ancestral home of Sunil Gangopadhyay, a literary icon of Bangla language. I urge authorities to bring those responsible to justice so that such actions are not repeated in the future."

Attempts to reach BNP leader Sohel Howladar for comment were unsuccessful. However, his brother, Wasim Howladar, a Union Parishad member of Kazi Bakai, said, "My brother is involved in the OMS business and he stored a few sacks of rice on the balcony of the house due to unexpected rain. There was no intent to occupy the property. Unfortunately, my brother fell ill and had to be sent to Dhaka for treatment."

Acting Upazila Executive Officer Uttam Kumar Das confirmed, "We responded to the news of the encroachment and have successfully restored the property. The ancestral home of Sunil Gangopadhyay is now fully under the control of the upazila administration."