Fencing rings livelihood alarm: 243-year-old Hingalganj market under threat as officials scope out land

Residents and traders in Hingalganj, North 24-Parganas, India, say land measurements for border fencing along the India-Bangladesh frontier are threatening homes, shops and a historic market dating back 243 years. Organized through the Hingalganj Byabasayee Samiti, they held a protest outside the block development office and submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate and the block development officer. Their main concern is potential acquisition up to 150 metres inside the Ichhamati riverbank, which traders allege could extend to 300 metres in some areas, reducing the market’s footprint. Officials, accompanied by BSF personnel, have started demarcating land; some residents reportedly resisted. The article links the fence push to a BJP electoral promise tied to national security, while residents warn displacement could eventually affect nearly 30,000 people.