Chandpur, Oct. 23 -- A daylong joint drive led by Chandpur-3 MP Sheikh Farid Ahmed Manik on Thursday freed around 400 acres of agricultural and government khas land from illegal grabbers in Ibrahimpur union of Chandpur Sadar upazila.

The operation in Mukhaddi and Chaltatoli areas targeted an influential gang that had illegally dug nearly 50 fish enclosures on ancestral and government land, selling the topsoil to brick kilns. During the drive, an excavator was seized and embankments were cut to release farmed fish into the Meghna River.

S M N Jamiul Hikma, Chandpur Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), said the administration previously conducted nearly 40 drives, but culprits repeatedly resumed soil cutting during turbulent river weather...