Bangladesh News

Authorities knocked down portions of three warehouses and 15 makeshift structures on river Shitalakhya and continued earth removal from Turag yesterday as part of the ongoing eviction drive against encroachers.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and Narayanganj district administration conducted the drive yesterday after two days’ break and demolished portions of Pal and Company, Popular Jute Mills and Hafiz Jute Mills.

Meanwhile, BIWTA and Dhaka district administration continued their drive on the third day to remove massive earth from the foreshore of river Turag near Gabtali-Amin Bazar Bridge in the city.

Officials said excavation work started simultaneously at four sand trading sites on the foreshore of Turag.

Besides, the ongoing canal recovery drive by Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) extended to Hazaribagh Canal yesterday after eviction of encroachers from Katasur canal in the city.

“Excavation work is going on at night as well to expedite the pace of earth removal from Turag,” said BIWTA senior deputy director Golam Kabir, adding that the drive will go on till the earth-filled foreshore is recovered.

BIWTA has deployed a tugboat and 30 day-labourers for the drive near Gabtali-Amin Bazar Bridge. The contractor, Mantasha Dredging Company, has engaged five excavators. The company will excavate grabbed portions and take sand as compensation as per a deal with the BIWTA.

However, the officials on eviction duty said that the drive is being hindered due to court’s stay orders against eviction.

BIWTA Deputy Director Saiful Islam said that they could not evict 11 out of 33 structures constructed on Gabtali bank of Turag because of such stay orders.

He said encroachers often get stay order on the basis of lease deal made by different agencies.

Foreshore and port area of the river should remain under the conservancy of BIWTA, he said, adding that district administration, district councils and city corporations lease out land of the riverbanks for commercial uses.

Another BIWTA official engaged in the eviction drive along Shitalakhya river said that they also would not be able to evict Ekota Samobay Samity and Samata Samobay Samity and their 42 small structures opposite to Narayanganj river port terminal.

The encroachers have obtained court’s stay order, as assistant commissioner (land) of Narayanganj leased out foreshore land to them although they were once evicted during caretaker government in 2007.

After lunch break, the eviction team in Narayanganj engaged labourers to demolish part of a poultry farm owned by Ferdous and two residential houses owned by Shah Alam and Shikdar in Syedpur area.

The team, however, could not knock down a mosque, built by Popular Jute Mills on the river, fearful of hurting religious sentiment.

Meanwhile, authorities have identified a total of 70 illegal structures on Gabtali and Amin Bazar banks of Turag. The encroachers have occupied a total of 7.5 acres foreshore of the river.

BIWTA and district administration of Dhaka and Gazipur demolished most of 132 illegal structures near Tongi river port in Turag during the nine-day drive that ended on June 11.

Executive magistrate Irin Jahan led the Shitalakhya drive while Mokbul Hossain led the drive in Turag.

The drive continues both in Shitalakhya and Turag today.

Canal Recovery Drive

Wasa launched yesterday’s eviction drive to reclaim Hazaribagh Canal and demolished a number of makeshift illegal structures erected on the canal.

A total of 15 makeshift structures, four concrete toilets and portion of a two-storey building were demolished during the drive. Wasa chairman Golam Mostafa and managing director Md Shahjahan Ali Mollah supervised the drive.

Special Metropolitan Magistrate Kazi Wasi Uddin said that they would conduct the next drive to reclaim Kalyanpur Cha Khal and Rupnagar Khal in Mirpur.

The Wasa high officials also found that Azimpur division of Public Works Department owes Tk 6 crore to Wasa and instructed the Wasa officials to realise the sum within next two weeks.