Bangladesh News

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and Narayanganj district administration yesterday demolished portions of two multi-storied garments factories built illegally on the river Shitalakhya in Narayanganj.

As part of the ongoing drive against river grabbers, the eviction team knocked down parts of a five-storey building owned by Khandker Sharif Uddin.

The team also completed dismantling a section of a seven-storey garments factory owned by Shanewaz at Tanbazar.

The drive resumed in the morning for the fourth day under the supervision of Executive Magistrate Abul Kashem and BIWTA Deputy Director Alamgir Kabir.

A BIWTA Employees Union leader was out to save the building from demolition, as the owner of the building is his relative, said our Narayanganj correspondent.

Alamgir said that around 200 labourers with two tugboats were engaged for yesterday’s drive.

The demolition team on Thursday completed demolition of two multi-storey buildings — one six-storey garment factory and one six-storey residential building — owned by a former municipality commissioner Md Jahangir.

After demolition BIWTA men found it difficult to remove foundations of heavy structures with RCC pillars, said BIWTA officials.

Once demolition of the multi-storied structures is finished, the eviction team will proceed towards the north of the river port to pull down makeshift and a few more two or three-storied concrete structures at Nitaiganj, said our Narayanganj correspondent.

A total of 134 structures including makeshift ones were listed for demolition as those were built illegally on the river, said officials.

Of them five obtained stay orders from the court on eviction.

BIWTA high officials said that drive in Shitalakhya would continue until the eviction of all the listed structures is done.

BIWTA chairman Md Abdul Mannan Howlader said that similar eviction drive would begin in the river Buriganga this week.

Our Narayanganj correspondent adds: A couple of makeshift semi-concrete structures were also pulled down during yesterday’s drive. The drive continues today for the fifth day.