A human chain was held protesting the cutting of more than 1,200 betel leaf plants belonging to Khasi farmers in Ichhachhara Punji of Kulaura in Moulvibazar.

The program took place on Thursday (April 2) at noon in Kulaura town, organized by the Kubraj Inter-Punji Development Organization. People from different punjis joined the human chain in solidarity.

The event was chaired by Prottush Ashakra, president of the Kubraj organization, and jointly conducted by Monika Khongla, head of Meghatila Punji, and human rights activist Hiramon Talang.

Among the speakers were Soumya Pradip Bhattacharjee Sojal, retired principal of Kulaura Government Degree College; Mainul Islam Shamim, central organizing secretary of Bangladesh JASAD; Flora Bably Talang, president of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, Moulvibazar district unit; Narayan Kurmi, vice president; Advocate Md Abul Hasan, member secretary of Greater Sylhet Indigenous Rights Protection Citizens Committee; Ripon Banai, central member of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum; Hironmoy Singh, joint general secretary of the district unit; Mahbub Karim Mintu, general secretary of Kulaura Communist Party; UP member Sylvester Pathang; Rana Surong, headman of Jhimai Punji; and Bobita Dio of Singur Punji, among others.

Speakers said that on the night of March 28, miscreants deliberately cut down around 1,200 betel leaf plants owned by farmer couple Ananta and Saris Lamarai in Ichhachhara Jhum under Kormodha Union. The estimated market value of the loss is around Tk 1.2 million.

They noted that betel leaf cultivation is the only source of livelihood for 46 indigenous Khasi families living in Ichhachhara Punji. Although a complaint was filed with Kulaura Police Station, the perpetrators have not yet been identified.

The speakers said the incident is not just a loss for a single farmer, but an attack on the livelihood of an entire community. They demanded immediate identification and punishment of those responsible, along with proper compensation for the affected families.

Later, a memorandum was submitted to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Kulaura.