Who Owns the Dhaleshwari?

What is happening to the Dhaleshwari River should concern all of us. A recent photograph published in The Daily Observer, taken from Singair Bridge on the Dhaka-Manikganj border, shows excavators lifting sand and influential quarters grabbing land along the river, with about 10 feet reportedly taken over by encroachers. Such blatant encroachment is unacceptable. It also raises a simple but important question: who owns the Dhaleshwari? The answer certainly cannot be those who use their influence to seize its land and sand. The river belongs to the public, and the state has a duty to protect it. Yet the fact that this heinous activity continues openly casts doubt on whether the authorities are fulfilling 
that duty.

This incident also points to a wider problem in the way the country protects its rivers. River grabbing persists despite laws and government agencies tasked with stopping it. Weak monitoring, poor coordination and the influence of powerful interests often allow offenders to exploit gaps in enforcement. Meanwhile, when authorities fail to stop one case, they risk encouraging others to follow the same path. The result is a cycle in which encroachment gradually becomes harder to control. Clearly, laws alone cannot protect rivers unless the agencies responsible for enforcing them act firmly.

The damage can extend far beyond the affected stretch of river. Excessive sand lifting can alter riverbeds and accelerate erosion, while encroachment can narrow waterways and disrupt their natural flow. These changes can worsen flooding and destroy homes, farmland, roads and livelihoods. More importantly, the Dhaleshwari supports communities, livelihoods and ecosystems. Its loss therefore cannot be treated as a private dispute between land grabbers and authorities. A few may profit from sand and land, but the public will pay the environmental and economic cost.

The authorities must now respond with concrete measures. They should investigate the reported encroachment, identify those involved and recover illegally occupied river land wherever possible. At the same time, the agencies charged with river protection must strengthen monitoring and ensure that existing laws are properly enforced. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent call for better coordination among the relevant ministries, divisions and agencies is certainly commendable. However, this cooperation must lead to clear responsibilities and timely action. Officials whose negligence enables illegal sand lifting or encroachment should also be held accountable.

What we expect now are decisive steps that answer the question in our headline. The Dhaleshwari belongs to the people and must remain a river for their communities, livelihoods and future generations - not a source of private profit for the powerful. The Prime Minister’s call for pollution-free rivers and a clean, liveable environment deserves support. But that call must also be backed by effective measures to prevent anyone from using influence to claim any part of a river as their personal property.