Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan today expressed helplessness in evicting illegal religious structures on encroached lands.

Pointing out that land grabbers often build religious structures like mosques to shield encroached lands, the minister said fundamentalist groups would trip him off his chair if they demolished such mosques.

Reacting to the minister's comment, rights activist Sultana Kamal said expression of such helplessness by a powerful minister like Shahjahan is unacceptable.

"The honorable minister said that they have to take steps (to protect rivers) after much contemplation. In many cases, they feel helpless," said Sultana Kamal, vice president of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA).

They were speaking at a programme jointly organised by BAPA and Buriganga Riverkeeper at the Jatiya Press Club, on saving Old Buriganga River.

Claiming that many illegal structures had been removed, the minister said many others could not be removed due to "social reasons" and resistance by locals.

Shahjahan Khan was speaking as a chief guest at the discussion and left before the speech of Sultana Kamal.

Sultana Kamaal lamented that slums in Dhaka can be evicted inhumanly, whereas structures, which are built by powerful groups by grabbing a river, cannot be removed.