Government agency fines Bangladesh Army’s housing project in Narayanganj for harming environment

The Department of Environment has slapped a housing project run by Bangladesh Army with a Tk 5 million fine for harming the environment in Narayanganj’s Rupganj Upazila.

The ‘Jolshiri Abashon’ project is located between Shitalakhyya River and Balu River in the Upazila.
 
Director (Enforcement) Alamgir Hossain ordered the fine on Wednesday after a hearing at DoE headquarters that was also attended by the project officials.
 
“They were fined for operating without an environmental clearance certificate,” Hossain told bdnews24.com.
 
The Cabinet committee on reviewing the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) of Dhaka approved this residential project spread over 2,000 acres of land in June last year.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at an event in February this year handed over the plots of the projects to those who were allotted.
 
But, the DoE says, the nature of the land was changed by filling up the low-lying areas and water bodies in the project that will provide accommodations to the families of 66,000 army officials.
 
The management also did not take measures to protect the environment following the plan.
 
However, when reached for comment, Inter Services Public Relations Directorate’s (ISPR) Assistant Director Nur Islam told bdnews24.com: “We have no information regarding the Jolshiri project being fined.”
 
After the Cabinet committee cleared the project last year, Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain said the army used experts from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology to address the water management system.