Writ seeks removal of 30 structures on Turag bank

A petition was filed with the High Court today seeking a directive upon the government to remove 30 structures constructed illegally on foreshore of the Turag river at different places in Gazipur.

Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) filed the petition to the HC saying that a judicial probe has found that 30 organisations has individually constructed the structures on the bank of the Turag river although the HC had earlier directed to remove all the structures from the lands of four rivers -- Buriganga, Turag, Shitalakkhya and Dhaleshwari -- around Dhaka city.

The bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah fixed October 29 for hearing the petition, HRPB's lawyer Advocate Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star.

The judicial probe report says 30 structures have been set up illegally along the foreshore of the Turag at Gazipur and recommends knocking those down immediately to save the river from encroachment and pollution, he said. 

The report, submitted by the Gazipur chief judicial magistrate to the High Court through the Supreme Court registrar general's office recently, also suggested the river be dredged and dumping of waste into the water body be stopped to keep the river navigable.

The report contained the names of 30 organisations and individuals who built the structures along the river.

They are Enon Tesk, Dr Faras Uddin University, Cordod Land Developer and Capt Zakir Hossain, Reaz Uddin, Protyasha Housing, Gazipur City Corporation, Nargis Aktar and Salah Uddin, Md Jahangir-Zipper 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.

The rights organisation had filed the writ petition with the HC on November 7 last year, a day after The Daily Star ran a report under the headline “Time to declare Turag dead”.

The court on November 9 directed the government to stop earth-filling, encroachment and construction of structures along the foreshores of the Turag within 48 hours and to submit a report before it after complying with its order.