UNB, DHAKA: A total of 62,537 acres of Khas land remain under the clutches of grabbers across the country, according to a statistics placed by Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury in Parliament on Thursday.

Of the occupied Khas land, the highest 24,859 acres of lands in Chattogram division, while 15,054 acres in Dhaka division, 7,388 acres in Rangpur, 5,165 acres in Sylhet, 4,070 acres in Barishal, 3,446 in Khulna and 1,162 acres in Rajshahi division.

The minister came up with the statistics in reply to a question from Awami League MP Didarul Alam (Chattogram-4).

Saifuzzaman spelled out various measures and plans taken to recover the Khas lands from illegal occupants.

He said the deputy commissioners of all districts were given directives to recover the Khas land by carrying out regular visits.

The plans include conducting eviction drives against the grabbers, amending the record of Khas lands registered as the lands of individuals in RS, BS or City Records, preparing a list of grabbers, and taking measures to bring the Khas lands under the occupation of the government through carrying out eviction drives in legal ways