Ansar personnel put up metal boundary fences around the property although the High Court issued an injunction on any type of construction on the land and changing the nature and character of the land in any manner.

Hundreds of Ansars arrived at the scene in trucks carrying tin, bamboo and other equipment at around 10:00 am and started to set up the fence. They claimed that they were acting as per instructions from their higher authority and were not bothered about the High Court injunction, locals said.

Public works ministry cancelled the first allotment of the land to Ansar on May 20, 1996 during the then caretaker government as Ansar failed to complete payment for the land on time. Later, the ministry allotted the land to Shobujmoti Trust (SMT) on July 12, 2000 for building a general hospital.

Ansar made their move to occupy the land 11 years after their allotment was cancelled, said a surprised SMT official.

SMT filed a writ petition with the High Court on January 2, 2005 after the ministry under the BNP-Jamaat alliance government cancelled the allotment to SMT on November 25, 2004. Later on April 26, 2005 the ministry issued work order to a company for development of a park on the land.

Following the writ petition filed by SMT, the High Court Division Bench issued an injunction to the ministry on February 2, 2006. The Court directed the Ansar not to make any construction on the land and not to change the nature and character of the land in any manner till disposal of the previous stayed rule issued by High Court on January 2, 2005 which is still pending and yet to be disposed of.

Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman, executive director of SMT, alleged that Ansar and VDP occupied the land ignoring the injunction issued by the High Court.

"We purchased the land at a rate of Tk 40 lakh per bigha as determined by public works ministry in 2000. But Ansar and VDP occupied the land without informing the magistrate and the police, although an injunction was issued by the High Court," he told The Daily Star.

However, Colonel Abul Kalam Mohammad Zaki, director (admin) of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP, denied the allegation and said they did not violate the High Court order and occupied the land legally.

The piece of land has been serving as a play ground and it is known as 'Choudhury Para Pachaar Math (playground) to the locals since eighties, a local said while The Daily Star correspondent was visiting the spot.

Khilgaon Police Station officer-in-charge Ruhul Amin said Answar and SMT did not inform the police about the land and he did not receive any complaint till 7:30 pm yesterday evening.

Locals alleged that the Ansars brutally clubbed onlookers while a few TV channels were taking public opinion at around 8:15pm on the occupying of the land by Ansars.