Land grabbers along Buriganga shift belongings as BIWTA continues eviction drive

Residents of Kamalbagh neighbourhood beside the Buriganga River in Old Dhaka are removing their belongings as Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority has kicked off an eviction drive.

People were seen removing heavy machinery from their shops as BIWTA began the eviction drive against illegal occupants and structures at 10 am on Monday.

Some tin-roofed houses with concrete walls were demolished, said Rezaul Karim, assistant director of BIWTA. The drive continued until 4 pm.

HAJI SELIM'S MADINA FILLING STATION DEMOLISHED

Meanwhile, the BIWTA has also demolished a part of Madina Filling Station built by Dhaka-7 MP Haji Mohammad Selim on land allotted for a school for people with speech and hearing impairments in Old Dhaka's Lalbagh.

After removing nearly 100 illegal structures that encroached on the banks of the Buriganga, the BIWTA team began dismantling the station around 3:30 pm.

The authorities took their time to raze a car wash facility on the eastern part of the station before taking down the tin-roofed garage for car repairs on the opposite side. A warehouse occupied by Haji Selim was also demolished.

Rezaul said, "We have demolished all parts of the filling station that encroached upon the BIWTA's boundaries."

While Haji Selim's associate were at the filling station at the time, they did put up any resistance to the BIWTA's drive.

On Sunday, the BIWTA ran an eviction drive in Old Dhaka’s Swarighat neighbourhood and demolished 165 illegal structures, Rezaul said.

In a bid to save the river banks around Dhaka from encroachers, the  BIWTA launched crackdowns in parts of the city. An eviction drive continued in Babubazar on Nov 22-23.

All illegal structures beside the river from Imamganj in Chawkbazar and Lalbag to Loharpool will be demolished, according to the BIWTA.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Haji Selim on Sunday tore down an illegal structure which he himself had built on the banks of the Buriganga.

The Dhaka-7 MP allegedly occupied the land, which encroaches upon the riverbank, and put up a signboard of 'Madina Water Tank' there despite claims from his associates claim that they were renting the establishment.