The administration has started eviction of illegal structures on the banks of the Bankkhali river in the tourist town of Cox’s Bazar. Yesterday, Tuesday (February 28), the evacuation operation was started from 10:00 AM from the Kasturaghat estuary of the Bankkhali River. During the evacuation operation, an attack occurred on the journalists on duty at the scene at 2:00 PM. A few journalists were injured in this. Officers from different departments including Department of Environment, BIWTA, Forest Department were present in the operation led by Additional District Magistrate of Cox’s Bazar District Administration, Md. Abu Sufian. In the operation, hundreds of pillars occupied by border pillars were broken in the area along the river. At the same time, the administration has evacuated more than 200 buildings and houses. Journalists who were attacked said that during the evacuation, 10/12 terrorists with domestic weapons led by Abdul Khalek attacked the journalists with batons during the evacuation. At that time, Shankar Barua Rumi, representative of DBC News and BD News, Main Uddin Shahed, representative of Ajker newspaper, Toufiqul Islam Lipu, representative of Independent Television were injured. During the attack, Abdul Khalek was seen threatening the journalists with a pistol in his hand, Tofail Ahmed, the special correspondent of Kal Kantha, said. He said that the journalists were mainly gathering news of the eviction. The attack on them there is highly condemnable.
Additional District Magistrate Md. Abu Sufian said that the eviction is ongoing and will continue. There are many ways to stop evictions. Many are creating obstacles in the eviction by bringing lawyers. But this eviction was ordered by the High Court. The operation will continue until all illegal structures in the river are vacated. Legal action will be taken against Abdul Khalek who attacked journalists.
For the past 5 years, the Bankkhali river bank, known as the life of Cox’s Bazar city, is being occupied. 600 hectares of parabons are destroyed on the banks of the river. After occupying hundreds of hectares of land on the river bank in just a span of 2 months, the construction of the facility is underway. A bridge is being constructed over the Bankkhali river at Kasturaghat point to connect with Khurooshkul. Due to the construction of the connecting road alongside this bridge, the influential cliques are enjoying the festival of occupying the river by destroying parabons on both sides of the road. It is a festival of occupation. Although there is a government notification to become a river port here. For this, there is a High Court order to convey this land to the BIWTA authorities.
In view of this, Additional District Magistrate Mo Abu Sufian said to start the eviction operation. The operation is being conducted by the district administration, Cox’s Bazar Development Authority, Municipality, Environment Department, Forest Department, BIWTA and law enforcement under the leadership of Additional District Magistrate of Cox’s Bazar District Administration, Md. Abu Sufian. Illegal structures are being built on the bank of Bankkhali river for several years. Recently, 600 hectares of parabons on the riverside have been destroyed and construction work is going on one by one. The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) is constructing a bridge over the Bankkhali River to connect Khurushkul with Kasturaghat of the river. Influential people have cut parabons on both sides of the connecting road of this bridge and built hundreds of paved buildings between them. From politicians, businessmen, lawyers to the municipal authorities themselves, this occupation festival is attended. Where even a few months ago there were mangroves or parabons, the sound of chirping birds, there is now establishment after establishment. Additional District Magistrate Md. Abu Sufian said that the evacuation operation which started in the morning will continue. All the structures of the river will be evacuated in stages. There is a High Court order to convey this land to BIWTA. He said that there will be no concession on the question of river occupation.
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