Over 42,000 river encroachers listed in Bangladesh

A list of 42,423 persons has been drawn up by the National River Protection Commission, naming those who have encroached upon rivers all around the country. The list includes tradesmen who have set up small shops as well as industrialists who have set up huge factories on the rivers. The encroachers include well-known persons and politicians. The commission has submitted the list to the parliamentary standing committee of the shipping affairs ministry.

The encroachers have not only taken over rivers, but canals and wetlands all over the country. The local administration has drawn up lists of these encroachers upon directives from the river protection commission.

The commission has said that the list will be scrutinized further to ensure no encroacher is left out. After that, a crash programme will be taken up to remove all illegal structures from the rivers within a year. The commission, however, has said it does not have adequate funds for the drive.

The river protection commission is yet to receive the list of river encroachers in 12 districts including Dhaka, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Jamalpur, Bagerhat, Mymensingh and Netrakona. The administration of many districts has not given complete lists as yet. The commission has urged the concerned district administrations to submit the lists immediately.

The lists indicate that local persons have set up shops and houses on most of the rivers. And in areas near around the capital city, alongside the local people, big industries have also encroached upon the rivers Sitalakkhya, Turag and Balu. In the port city Chattogram, the river Karnaphuli and the Chaktai canal are entangled in encroachments.

On 1 July the Supreme Court passed a verdict declaring river encroachment to be a criminal offence. Rivers were declared to be living beings and the river protection commission was given legal guardianship of the rivers.

Chairman of the river protection commission, Mujibur Rahman Howladar, told Prothom Alo, for the first time a list has been reared of river, canal and wetland encroachers. The deputy commissioners in the various districts basically carried out this task. This is a continual process and the lists will be scrutinized further to check if there are any more encroachers.

He said a dive has already begun to remove the encroachments. A one-year crash programme will be taken up and implemented by the district administrations. He has called upon the government for adequate funds for the purpose.

Sitalakkhya swamped by sand traders and dockyards

A look through the list shows that the banks of Sitalakkhya have been taken over by a number of dockyards. These include the Saudia, Shefa, Saud Khan, Abul Hossain and Ibrahim dockyards among others.

Then again, sand traders are dumping sand into Sitalkhhya and filling it. The sand traders include HI Traders, Masum Enterprise, Salek Enterprise, Biplob Enterprise, Beauty Enterprise and Jashim Enterprise. Each of these traders has filled around 4800 sq ft of the river near Rupganj.

State minister for shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury has told Prothom Alo, the shipping ministry has a task force to protect the rivers. It would look after the rivers in and around Dhaka, but now, upon directives from the prime minister, it would look into all major rivers or the country.

He said that the district administration has been told to take action against the encroachers, but this would require adequate funds. However, eviction has already begun in some districts.

Industries on Turag, Balu

The rivers Turag and Balu on the outskirts of the capital city have also been illegally encroached upon by large industries. Anontex, Zarina Textiles, Anwar Group and other industrial groups have filled parts of the rivers and set up their structures.

Karnaphuli encroachments

At least 777 persons have encroached upon the River Karnaphuli. Most of this has been done in the name of Bastuhara Samity (association of the homeless), by the association’s president and members. They have erected structures along the river.

And another 2112 persons have occupied parts of Karnaphuli and tributaries. They have set up industries, temples and so on.

Commercially important to Chattogram, the Chaktai canal has also been illegally encroached upon by at least 51 persons.

And 10 persons have illegally occupied the river Banshkhali in Cox’s Bazar, by setting up fish farms there. Another 48 persons have set up bamboo houses and plantations on 13 acres of the river area. Similarly the rivers Sangu, Loharia, Laukathi, Ichhamati and others all over the country are disappearing under the establishments being set up by these illegal occupiers.

Speaking to Prothom Alo about river encroachment, chairman of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), Iftekharuzzaman, said that it is a positive move that for the first time a list of river encroachers has been drawn up. More importantly, the list has been handed over to the parliamentary standing committee. The government should evict the encroachers with no discrimination or bias and also take legal action against them.

* This report appeared in the print edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ayesha Kabir