Muhury aquaculture project uncertain over border dispute
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Our Correspondent
CHITTAGONG, Sept 27: The implementation of billions of taka worth fisheries cultivation plan of the Muhury Project has become uncertain over the complications arisen from border-demarcation issue.
The project on five thousand acres of land situated at the middle of Mirsarai Upazila of Chittagong and Sonagazi Upazila of Feni district.
Beside hampering normal production of a huge quantity of fishes of different spices at the project, serious clash among the inhabitants of the two Upazilas are apprehended to erupt due to the border crisis.
Fish cultivators concerned with the project said the emerged char in the river Feni was allotted among the family members of a good number of landless cultivators, martyr freedom fighters and fisher men of Mirsarai Upazila in the year 1987 and 1992 by the then governments.
Later, the task of cultivation of fish in a planned manner began over these khas land. While the very vast areas turned into a profitable land, incidents of clash like capturing and re-capturing of land began to spread claiming precious lives during last 2 decades.
According to the sources, the land is now occupied by the Mirsarai uipazila-based cultivators, who are the genuine allottees and invested billions of taka in fish cultivation in around two decades.
But Sonagazi Upazila administration wants to occupy the Muhury Project land following the thana-based map in a quite unilateral manner.
Under this circumstances, if the land is handed over to the vested quarters of Sonagazi Upazila, bloody clash may erupt, which would also put the fate of the vulnerable Muhury Project in to utter uncertainty, local people apprehend.
Conscious citizenry suggest for an amicable settlement of the border dispute of the project through discussion between two the conflicting upazila administrations under the arbitration of higher authority.
CHITTAGONG, Sept 27: The implementation of billions of taka worth fisheries cultivation plan of the Muhury Project has become uncertain over the complications arisen from border-demarcation issue.
The project on five thousand acres of land situated at the middle of Mirsarai Upazila of Chittagong and Sonagazi Upazila of Feni district.
Beside hampering normal production of a huge quantity of fishes of different spices at the project, serious clash among the inhabitants of the two Upazilas are apprehended to erupt due to the border crisis.
Fish cultivators concerned with the project said the emerged char in the river Feni was allotted among the family members of a good number of landless cultivators, martyr freedom fighters and fisher men of Mirsarai Upazila in the year 1987 and 1992 by the then governments.
Later, the task of cultivation of fish in a planned manner began over these khas land. While the very vast areas turned into a profitable land, incidents of clash like capturing and re-capturing of land began to spread claiming precious lives during last 2 decades.
According to the sources, the land is now occupied by the Mirsarai uipazila-based cultivators, who are the genuine allottees and invested billions of taka in fish cultivation in around two decades.
But Sonagazi Upazila administration wants to occupy the Muhury Project land following the thana-based map in a quite unilateral manner.
Under this circumstances, if the land is handed over to the vested quarters of Sonagazi Upazila, bloody clash may erupt, which would also put the fate of the vulnerable Muhury Project in to utter uncertainty, local people apprehend.
Conscious citizenry suggest for an amicable settlement of the border dispute of the project through discussion between two the conflicting upazila administrations under the arbitration of higher authority.