The authorities have completed the eviction drive against illegal encroachment on the Buriganga River.
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) on Wednesday tossed a total of 49 structures on both sides of the river at Basila area in the capital.
The demolished illegal structures included three two-storey buildings, nine single-storey buildings, five semi-pucca buildings, two tin-roofed makeshift houses and 30 boundary walls of Amin-Momin Housing Company.
Besides, a total of 11 acres of land on the river banks were reclaimed during the fourth phase of the drive.
The BIWTA, which is under the ministry of shipping, carried out eviction drives in four phases.
The first phase started from January 29-31, the second phase between February 6-8, third phase between February 12-14 and the fourth phase began on Monday.
"We will sit next week and decide when we will resume the eviction drive," deputy director of BIWTA Md Mizanur Rahman told the FE.
Visiting Basila area, this correspondent talked with the local people who claimed that their structures were demolished despite having valid land ownership documents.
They alleged that the BIWTA officials even did not see their land ownership papers during the drive.
"We have been living on our lands for the last 70 years. A portion of our houses were demolished by the BIWTA despite having legal documents of the land," Md Omar Hossain, a resident of Basila South Para (near Basila Bridge) told the FE.
Another resident Md Shahidul Islam echoed, claiming that a portion of his land was devoured by the river.
"They (BIWTA officials) demolished a portion of my houses without seeing my land ownership documents," Md Amshed Ali, a resident of the same area (Basila South Para) told the FE.
He claimed that he did not build structures on the government land on the banks of the river. They called upon the government to settle the boundary of the river as per the RS (revised survey) land record.
They said that they incurred huge losses due to the eviction drive that led to the demolition of their buildings and cutting of many fruits-bearing trees.
A high official of the BIWTA denied the allegations.
He said that they had carried out the drives as per the boundary pillars of the River Buriganga marked by the government.
Earlier, a total of 39 illegal structures were bulldozed on February 19 on both the sides of Basila Bridge along the river.
A total of 120 illegal structures were also bulldozed on Monday on both the sides of Basila Bridge along the river.
Illegal structures demolished included a four-storey building, eight three-storey buildings, 11 two-storey buildings, 42 one-storey buildings, 33 semi-pucca buildings and 25 makeshift houses.
On February 14, a total of 59 illegal structures were demolished along the banks of the River Buriganga.
Illegal structures included a four-storey building, two three-storey buildings, eight two-storey buildings, a one-storey building, 25 semi-pucca buildings and 20 makeshift houses.
The third phase of the eviction drive concluded on February 14.
In two phases, a total of 1,199 illegal structures were demolished and 10 acres of land on the river banks were reclaimed.
In the third phase of the eviction drive, a total of 301 structures were pulled down from Balurghat at Shaheed Nagar to Betarighat at Kamrangirchar and Basila area. BIWTA demolished a total of 124 illegal structures on February 13 and 118 on February 12.
About the future plan to recover lands, the BIWTA said they will build 19 jetties in different areas including Amin Bazar, Gabtoli, Kanchpur, Tanbazar, Machuwa Bazar, and Khanpur.
The authority will also build about 50-km walkway, plant saplings along the walkway and set up three eco-parks at Shinnirtek, Tongi and Ashulia under a project.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com
