Authorities demolish makeshift structures on Buriganga
Dhaka district administration and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) yesterday evicted around 85 encroachers from the river Buriganga.
They demolished makeshift structures, mostly semi-concrete, made at Swarighat in the city’s Lalbagh area as grocery and fruit shops, storehouse, office of business association and fish-landing place.
Sharif Afzal Hossain, Dhaka river port officer of BIWTA, said they made a list of 208 illegal structures to be removed from the area. The drive is part of the ongoing attempt to free the river from encroachment and pollution.
He also mentioned that the eviction team during Wednesday’s drive pulled down 70 structures of river grabbers.
About obstacles the team faced during the drive, Muhammad Kamruzzaman, executive magistrate of Dhaka district administration and head of the team, said a group of people began pelting the team members with brickbats as they moved to knock down a warehouse of a flourmill.
But law enforcers soon brought the situation under control, he said. They would launch more drives to remove the remain ing illegal structures in the area.
The team, consisted of 60 police personnel and other officials, conducted the drive with around 100 labourers and a bulldozer.
The drive took place in pursuance of the High Court directives for river demarcation and eviction of the encroachers in the river areas.
