House erected encroaching on Ichhamati

A powerful man has built a two-storey house, grabbing land that is part of Ichhamati river in Shikaripara of Nawabganj upazila in Dhaka.

According to allegations, a certain Mazedur Rahman with help of Shikaripara union parishad chairman Alimur Rahman has recently made the house encroaching on 15 per cent of the riverbed of Ichhamati in the area.

Mazedur Rahman, who is a manpower exporter, claimed that he constructed the house on his own land that he bought recently.

But local people alleged that the building was on the land of the Ichhamati river.

According to the local people, one late Akkas Ali, of Shikaripara union, was the owner of a piece of land measuring 8.5 decimal on the bank of Ichhamati river. The land disappeared into the river in 2001.

Later in 2012, according to Mazedur, he bought the land from Akkas Ali’s family. In the beginning of 2017, Mazedur started constructing the building there.

According to law, when a piece of land disappears into river, the government becomes the owner of the land when it reappears.

Accordingly, this piece of land, being used by Mazedur, is owned by the government.

Also, more than one members of a local crematorium committee accused Mazedur of grabbing 15 per cent of their crematorium there.

The committee members said Mazedur got angry when they protested at the construction.

When the local UP chairman, Alimur was informed about the matter, and requestd to resolve the issue, he rather helped Mazedur to continue the construction work, according to allegation.

Local man Nripen Haldar said, “Mazedur has 8.5 decimal land on the bank of the river, but he erected the building grabbing the land of the river and crematorium. We seek the government’s intervention in this regard.”

Defending the accused, the UP chairman Alimur said, “Mazedur neither grabbed the river’s land nor did I help him in this regard.”

“The width of the river was 80 feet, but it has recently been expanded to 300 feet. So, it’s Mazedur’s land,” he argued.

“If I’ve grabbed the river, BIWTA (Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority) will look into the matter. Why will I reply to your questions?” Mazedur told this correspondent.