Cox’s Bazar Beach
Over 100 illegal shops, shanties knocked down
In compliance with a recent High Court order, the district administration yesterday evicted more than 100 shanties and shops in a drive to free the world’s longest sea beach of illegal occupants.
The structures, erected illegally at the beach’s Sugandha point and adjacent to Jhauban (tamarisk tree grove) area, were pulled down during the four-hour long drive led by Md Sukur Ali, additional deputy commissioner (revenue).
A mobile court headed by Executive Magistrate Rafiqul Islam also fined the authority of Neleema Resort at Sea Inn point Tk 30,000 and sentenced two persons to three months in prison each for selling food in unhygienic condition and polluting environment.
The two are lessee of the resort Ashraful Karim and his employee Nurul Absar.
Shops selling commodities made of oyster and conch shells and other settlements were knocked down till 2:00pm, said the ADC.
Unauthorised structures on the sea beach at Kolatoli, Laboni, Shaibal and Diabetic Hospital points will also be evicted, he mentioned.
“We received the copy of the HC order on January 21,” said Md Sukur Ali adding, notices have been sent to all concerned to remove all structures built on the sea beach by January 27.
Besides, a public notice has been circulated asking the occupants to remove all the structures erected at different points of the beach, noted the ADC.
A High Court bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain on January 10 directed the Cox’s Bazar deputy commissioner, district police superintendent and officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station to demolish all the permanent and temporary structures built on the sea beach within seven days.
The HC also asked them to submit a report to it in this regard.
In the same judgement the HC ordered the DC to form a special committee to demarcate the boundary of the sea beach area within next three months.
The HC passed the order in response to a writ filed by human rights and environmentalist organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.
