Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah has rejected claims made by Bangladesh opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman regarding the eviction drive at Lutumari Reserve Forest in Nagaon district.
Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah firmly rebutted the allegations made by Shafiqur Rahman, Leader of the Opposition in the Bangladesh Parliament, regarding the eviction drive at Lutumari Reserve Forest in Assam’s Nagaon district. The Bangladeshi leader had expressed concern over the eviction of Muslim families and alleged demolition of mosques, portraying the operation through a religious lens.
Minister Baruah stated that the allegations presented an incomplete and misleading picture of the facts.
The eviction exercise was undertaken to reclaim notified forest land in accordance with the law and was not directed against any particular religion. According to the Minister, eviction proceedings on October 17 and 18, 2026, covered 314 hectares of notified forest land and involved 563 families.
Minister Baruah cited directions of the Supreme Court of India, including its order dated February 10, 2026, and noted that Special Leave Petitions had been disposed of by the Supreme Court on September 2, 2026.
Occupants had exhausted their legal remedies and the state government proceeded only after following the proper legal process.
Notices were served well in advance and the government waited until the rainy and flood season ended to avoid hardships.
The proceedings remained peaceful with no reported resistance or use of force.
Protecting notified forest land is a legal obligation and ecological necessity to regenerate wildlife habitats and reduce human-elephant conflict.
The state government respects every community but forest protection and the rule of law cannot be interpreted through a religious lens.
