BIWTA dismantles 55 structures as eviction drive enters day 3

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) on the third day of its eviction drive on Thursday razed to the ground a total of 55 structures built illegally at Borobardeshi, Gabtali and Aminbazar mouzas on the banks of the River Turag in the capital.
Among the structures which were pulled down, 20 were boundary walls, 20 tin-shed houses and 15 bamboo-made jetties.
The BIWTA has launched the drive to reclaim the river's land lying under illegal occupation of the grabbers.
Earlier, it had carried out an eviction drive against illegally built structures on the River Buriganga from January 29 to the first week of March.
During the period, it recovered 52 acres of land and demolished 2,026 structures built illegally on the banks of the river.
The state-run agency launched the crackdown on the encroachment on the land of the Turag on Tuesday.
So far it has demolished 112 illegal structures that include one to four-storey buildings, semi-pucca houses and boundary walls.
The BIWTA has also taken a Tk 8.48-billion project to build 19 jetties in areas covering Aminbazar, Gabtoli, Kanchpur, Tanbazar, Machuwabazar and Khanpur.
It will construct a 50-kilometre walkway, plant saplings along the path and set up three eco-parks at Shinnirtek, Tongi and Ashulia under the project.

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