50 illegal structures demolished on 1st day

Authorities demolished 50 illegal structures along both banks of the Adi (old) Buriganga Channel in the capital’s Islambagh area on Monday, launching a fresh eviction drive to prevent river encroachment and pollution.

The joint operation was conducted by the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Dhaka district administration, Dhaka South City Corporation and the Department of Environment in line with a High Court directive.

Around 100 tonnes of waste were also removed on the first day, according to the BIWTA officials.

The drive is being carried out along a nearly one-kilometer stretch of the channel under Lalbagh and Kamrangirchar police stations to remove illegal structures, plastic and other waste. Two excavators and five dump trucks were deployed from morning until noon on Monday. 

BIWTA Joint Director Mobarak Hossain Majumder, Executive Magistrate Ashraf Uddin, Lalbagh Assistant Commissioner (Land) Aminul Islam and Department of Environment Inspector Tariqul Islam, among others, were present.

Officials said plastic recycling factories and other businesses along the channel’s banks were dumping plastic waste, contributing to encroachment and the filling of riverbanks. Household waste from Lalbagh and Kamrangirchar was also polluting the waterway, while several BIWTA-owned plots along the banks had been occupied.

The High Court issued the directive following a writ petition by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), seeking the removal of illegal structures and waste within 15 days. The court also ordered the relevant authorities to submit a progress report within 30 days.

Mobarak Hossain Majumder said the authorities initially planned to continue the operation for 10 days to clear plastic and other waste from both banks in the affected areas. The drive could be extended if necessary to complete the eviction and removal work. “No illegal occupier will be spared,” he said.

BIWTA previously conducted large-scale eviction drives along the Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Shitalakkhya rivers between January and April 2019, demolishing thousands of illegal structures and recovering hundreds of acres of riverbank land. Despite those efforts, fresh encroachment attempts have continued, prompting further joint operations.