Local farmers and residents organized a human chain on Friday afternoon in Parbatipur upazila of Dinajpur to protest the alleged harassment of farmers by Shahabuddin Shah, president of the Harirampur Union Awami League. The protest was arranged by farmers from Uttar Khagrababun and Gurguri villages under Harirampur union, who accused the local Awami League leader of using his political influence to subject ordinary farmers to various forms of pressure and difficulties regarding agricultural and land matters.

During the human chain, participating farmer Idris Ali stated that he and others had legally purchased family land through registered deeds and settlement records. However, leveraging his political identity, Shahabuddin Shah has reportedly filed objections and complaints at the settlement office against more than a hundred individuals, harassing them while allegedly colluding with settlement officials to extract large sums of money from each farmer.

He further claimed that even after selling land through the same methods, rightful owners are being denied possession. Although residents have been peacefully possessing and cultivating these purchased lands for a long time, the union Awami League president has forcibly taken them under his control, continuing to oppress land purchasers. Expressing their desire for relief from this tyranny, participants demanded legal action against him.

Villagers noted that ordinary farmers depend on cultivating their own lands for livelihood, but such pressure and harassment are disrupting their agricultural activities. Speakers emphasized that farmers are a driving force of the national economy and that any unjust pressure on them negatively impacts the entire agricultural system, asserting that political influence should never be used to harass farmers. They called for a proper investigation into the grievances of the villagers of Uttar Khagrababun and Gurguri, demanding administrative action if the allegations are proven true, alongside swift intervention by local authorities to ensure security and a peaceful farming environment.

Other speakers included Md. Altaf Hossain, Md. Al Amin, and Mominul Haq from Khagrababun, Gurguri, Modhyapara, and Polipara villages, with around a hundred local residents participating in the program. Demonstrators clarified that they are not seeking political conflict, with their primary demand being the cessation of farmer harassment and the restoration of a peaceful environment for common citizens, prompting them to urge effective roles from the administration and law enforcement agencies.