Police fire teargas at villagers, who are victims of land subsidence due to Barapukuria coal mine in Dinajpur, as they clash with the law enforcers demanding complete disbursement of promised compensation yesterday. (Inset) A teenager holds a riot shield grabbed from police during the clashes.Photo: STAR

At least 20 land subsidence victims of Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Ltd (BCMCL) and four law enforcers were injured in a clash at the mine site yesterday.
Land subsidence victims of 10 villages around BCMCL had been staging an indefinite sit-in in front of the mine since June 18 as the authorities failed to resolve the 22-day deadlock over their demand.
Yesterday, around 2,500 villagers brought out a procession around 11:30am from the front gate of the mine and blocked its residential entrance. The agitating villagers also blocked the Phulbari-Parbatipur road disrupting traffic movement.
Around 1:30pm police intercepted their programme and charged batons on the agitators leaving at least 20 people injured, said Md. Ibrahim Khalil, convener of Jibon O Sampad Rakkha Committee, a platform for the affected people.
The villagers retaliated by pelting brickbats at the law enforcing personnel leaving four of them injured. The injured are S Baki, sub inspector of Rab, Md. Nazmul Haque, SI of Parbatipur Police Station and three constables, police said.
The law enforcers then dispersed tear gas shells turning the area into a battlefield. The clash continued until 4:30pm, during which the agitators also burned two motorcycles and two bicycles.
The affected people have been agitating since 2009 after at least 627 acres of land subsided at 10 villages.
Later, the Executive Committee for National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved Tk 190 crore in 2010 as compensation and rehabilitation package for the victims.
However, Tk 120 crore has been distributed among the victims since September 22 last year.
On June 28, during negotiations, Hamidul Haque, additional deputy commissioner (Revenue) offered to pay Tk 24 crore compensation but the victims turned down the offer.