BIWTA excavators demolishing buildings constructed illegally on the Buriganga bank at Basila in the city on Tuesday — Collected The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) resumed its eviction drive on Tuesday to demolish illegal structures built on the banks of the Buriganga River.
A total of 88 illegal structures including three buildings established on the riverbank in the city's Basila area were pulled down on the day.
After a 12-day break, BIWTA resumed its eviction drive from the southern side of Basila Bridge at Mohammadpur around 9:00 am, BIWTA deputy director Mizanur Rahman told the FE.
"A total of 88 buildings and other structures were bulldozed during the daylong drive," he said.
The demolished structures included three five-storey buildings, four two-storey buildings, 19 houses, 22 semi-pucca houses, 31 boundary walls and seven makeshift facilities.
During visit to the Basila area, the FE correspondent found two BIWTA excavators knocking down the illegal structures from riverside.
BIWTA joint director AKM Arif Uddin led the eviction drive.
A director of the authority Md Shafiqul Haque along with other officials was also present during the drive which was launched to save the Buriganga River from encroachment.
A good number of locals were seen roaming over the rubbles lying across the side of the river which has been narrowed significantly due to encroachment from both sides.
Structures, mostly locals' abodes, were bulldozed on the southern side of Basila Bridge.
However, a number of local residents alleged that the government agency knocked down their residences illegally.
Sattar Mia, a resident of the area said, "We have all legal documents claiming our ownership on the lands by the river. But they (BIWTA) didn't pay heed to our request".
He also said some of his relatives have lost all of their belongings during the drive.
Another landowner Nasima Akter said they took necessary preparations after the authority notified them earlier about the drive.
"But we didn't expect them to conduct the drive here far from the river bank," said Ms Akter standing on the rubbish.
The BIWTA officials said they would continue the drive today (Wednesday) in the same area starting from 9:00 am.
They will be conducting the second phase of the drives on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until March 28 to save the rivers around the capital city.
The BIWTA will establish walkway and other facilities along the riverbanks aiming to ensure better living in the capital city.
According to the sources, in the first phase of the drives from January 29 to February 20, some 1,721 illegal structures were knocked down and 35 acres of land reclaimed on the banks of Buriganga and Turag rivers.
Meanwhile, the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) task force disconnected utility connections of 18 holdings in Old Dhaka on Tuesday for illegally storing chemicals and other flammable materials in residential areas.
Five committees of the DSCC task force conducted the drives separately in different places of Old Dhaka, Public Relations Officer of DSCC Uttam Kumar Roy told the FE.
They carried out the drive at Hazaribagh Moneshwar road under ward 14, Urdu road and Hosne Dalal under ward 27, Agamashi lane under ward 33, Awlad Hossain lane under ward 36 and snapped the water, electricity and gas lines of 18 holdings, he said.
The task force cut utility services of total 94 holdings in the last four days, Mr Roy added.
The drive will continue until April 01.
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