Church fights to reclaim land ‘grabbed’ by Bangladesh monk

Church officials in Bangladesh are stepping up legal action to reclaim land allegedly grabbed by an influential Buddhist monk in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) four years ago.

In 2014, Prakash Ucha Hla, a Bhante (Buddhist priest), forcefully annexed 5.57 acres of land of St. Paul’s Church in Roangchaari, a mission center under Queen of Fatima Catholic Church in Bandarban district, church officials in Chittagong Archdiocese say.

Officials say the land was bought by the church in 1971-72.

Three hilly and forested districts collectively called the CHT — Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari — have about 20,400 indigenous Catholics among the 30,000-plus Catholics in the archdiocese.

The archdiocese sent a letter to the government’s CHT Affairs Ministry to seek help in reclaiming the land on May 25.

The dispute dates back to May 4, 2014, when hundreds of followers of Bhante Ucha Hla allegedly stormed the land and destroyed paddy fields, according to Father Jerome D’Rozario, secretary of the Land Commission in Chittagong Archdiocese.

https://www.ucanews.com/news/church-fights-to-reclaim-land-grabbed-by-bangladesh-monk/82492