Evict 508 illegal structures from Gomti river: HC

The High Court yesterday directed the deputy commissioner of Cumilla to take necessary steps to evict 508 illegal structures occupying the banks of Gomti river in the district within six months.

Delivering a verdict on a petition, the court also directed the Water Development Board to decide within three months regarding the proposed dredging plan for the river.

The authorities were further instructed to resolve budget allocations for the eviction process within the next three months.

The superintendent of Cumilla police and the respective UNOs were asked to actively monitor the area to prevent further encroachment or landfilling.

The bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Bashir Ullah delivered the verdict following the petition filed in 2011 by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).

The petition was filed following multiple media reports highlighting rampant encroachment and illegal construction along the Gomti, one of Cumilla's major rivers.

On March 2, 2011, the then HC bench comprising Justice Md Mumtaz Uddin Ahmed and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore issued a rule and instructed the DC of Cumilla to conduct a survey, demarcate the river boundaries, and submit a list of illegal structures and encroachers.

Following the court's directive, the DC identified 623 illegal structures during the survey.

Among these, 115 structures were reportedly removed, writ petitioner Lawyer Senior Advocate Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star.

The final hearing on the petition took place before the HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Bashir Ullah recently.

During the hearing, senior Advocate Manzill Murshid, appearing on behalf of HRPB, argued that occupying or filling up river land is a criminal offence under the Wetland Conservation Act 2000, the Environmental Protection Act 1995, and the Water Act 2013.

He also cited previous Supreme Court judgments that recognised rivers as living entities.

The lawyer told the court that although a detailed list of illegal structures and encroachers had been prepared, many of them have yet to be evicted.

Deputy Attorney General Md Mohsin Kabir represented the state.