Illegal structures on Bankkhali banks razed in Cox's Bazar

A five-day long eviction drive has begun to free the Bankkhali River from illegal encroachment in Cox's Bazar.

On Monday, the first day of the operation, several unauthorised structures were pulled down on the Bankkhali riverbanks and two acres of grabbed land was retrieved by the local administration. However, the administration sources said that the drive will continue until the entire area of the river is freed from the grabbers' clutches.

The administration has launched the eviction drive as part of the move to protect the Bankkhali River, whose banks have been illegally occupied by the influential quarters and illegal structures constructed one after another there over a long period of time.

Although the eviction process was supposed to start at 9:00 am on Monday, there was some delay.

Although the occupiers of the illegal structures initially created obstacles, they could not ultimately halt the eviction process.

The illegally built structures were demolished with the help of the joint forces using bulldozers.

The occupiers said that they had found themselves in trouble due to the suddenly launched eviction activities.

The High Court had given the government four months' time to free the Bankkhali from pollution and encroachment that had been taking a heavy toll on the river's existence.

Following the court order, the shipping adviser came to Cox's Bazar on Saturday and held a meeting with the local administration.

Sources at the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) said that two acres of land was cleared of illegal occupation on the first day of the eviction drive.

BIWTA Director AKM Arif Uddin said that the eviction process for the illegally grabbed Bankkhali River will continue for five consecutive days.

Cox's Bazar Additional Deputy Commissioner Nizam Uddin Ahmed said that the eviction drive will continue until the river is completely cleared of illegal encroachment.

According to the BIWTA, the banks of the Bankkhali River have so far been under illegal possession of more than 88 encroachers.