30 structures constructed illegally along Turag river

At least 30 structures have been constructed illegally along the foreshore of the Turag river in Gazipur and those structures need to be removed immediately to save the river from encroachment and pollution, a judicial probe report says.

The report placed before the High Court (HC) today recommended for dredging the river and stopping dumping wastes into it for making the river suitable for plying water transports.

The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah fixed October 22 for holding hearing on the issue.

The chief judicial magistrate of Gazipur submitted the report to the High Court report recently.

Earlier on January 5, following a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, the bench had directed the chief judicial magistrate of Gazipur to investigate if illegal structures along the foreshore of the river in Gazipur and to submit a probe report before it in this regard.

HRPB’s lawyer Advocate Manzill Murshid, who received a copy of the probe report from the HC, told The Daily Star that his client will submit a petition to the HC seeking its directive on the authorities concerned to demolish the illegal structures from the bank of the river.

Citing from the investigation report, the lawyer said the government agencies have set up pillars and constructed walkways keeping space from the boundary of Turag river and therefore, the land grabbers have been given scope to encroach the land and to construct structures along the river illegally.

The names of the organisations and individuals who have constructed the structures along the river are: Enon Tesk, Dr Faras Uddin University, Cordod Land Developer and Captain Zakir Hossain, Reaz Uddin, Protyasha Housing, Gazipur City Corporation, Nargis Aktar and Salah Uddin, Md Jahangir-Zeeper Factory, Truck, Covered Van Drivers Union, Central Medical College, Yunus Member, (Ananda Group) Jarina Textile, Sajid Washing of Hamim Group, Bishwa Ijtema, Shilpa Samparkito Shikkhayan, Tongi New Market (Masjid Market), Shah Alam and others, Moslem Sarkar, Mesbah Uddin Sarkar, Abdul Hye, Abu Taher, Giasuddin, Sobhan Sheikh, Luthfa Begum, Dolly Begum, Selim Sheikh, Fazlu Miah, Anwar Group, The Merchant Ltd and Packaging Factory and Textile Malik Iman Ali.

Earlier on November 9 last year, the HC directed the government to stop earth filling, encroachment and construction of structures along the foreshores of the Turag river in 48 hours and submit a report before it after complying with the order.

The court issued a rule upon the government authorities concerned to explain as to why their inaction to stop such activities should not be declared illegal.

The HRPB submitted the petition on November 7 after a report headlined “Time to declare Turag dead” was published on The Daily Star on November 6.

Meanwhile, the High Court today kept a petition waiting for verdict after concluding hearing over the legality of earth filling in croplands and wetlands at some areas in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj.

The bench of Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das will deliver the verdict on the petition anyday.

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) has submitted the petition in 2014 saying that Unique Properties Development Ltd, a private housing company, had filled up of land at some places of Sonargaon upazila for establishing its Sonargaon Resort City, a housing project.