Stop in 48hrs encroachment on Turag: HC

The High Court yesterday directed the government to stop in 48 hours earth filling, encroachment and construction of unauthorised structures on the bank of the Turag River. It also asked the government to submit a report on its compliance of the court order by November 27. In response to a writ petition, the HC bench of Justice Kazi Rezaul Haque and Justice Mohammad Ullah also issued a rule asking the government to explain why its inaction to stop earth filling, encroachment and construction of the structures on the riverbank should not be declared illegal.
Six officials of the government, including director generals of department of environment and water development board, deputy commissioner of Gazipur and officer-in-charge of Tongi, have been asked to implement the HC order and reply to the rule.  It also directed the deputy commissioner of Gazipur to submit a list of names and addresses of the people who were involved in earth filling, encroachment and construction of the structures on the riverbank by November 27.
The Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a human rights body, filed the petition with the HC following a report published in a national daily under headlined “Time to declare Turag dead”.
During the hearing, Advocate Manzill Murshid, president of HRPB, told the court that the occupiers, who have been filling earth, encroaching and constructing the structures, were violating the HC order. However, the local administration was playing a silent role to protect the river from encroachment, he added.
In a landmark verdict, the HC had in 2009 directed the government to demarcate the original boundaries of the Balu, Turag, Buriganga and Shitalakkhya rivers through a special survey committee as per CS (cadastral survey) and RS (revisional survey) records, setting up pillars on the boundaries and constructing walkways on their banks in two year. Following the HC order, the government demarcated boundaries of the rivers and set up pillars on the boundaries of the rivers.

 

 

Stop in 48hrs encroachment on Turag: HC

The High Court yesterday directed the government to stop in 48 hours earth filling, encroachment and construction of unauthorised structures on the bank of the Turag River. It also asked the government to submit a report on its compliance of the court order by November 27. In response to a writ petition, the HC bench of Justice Kazi Rezaul Haque and Justice Mohammad Ullah also issued a rule asking the government to explain why its inaction to stop earth filling, encroachment and construction of the structures on the riverbank should not be declared illegal. Six officials of the government, including director generals of department of environment and water development board, deputy commissioner of Gazipur and officer-in-charge of Tongi, have been asked to implement the HC order and reply to the rule. It also directed the deputy commissioner of Gazipur to submit a list of names and addresses of the people who were involved in earth filling, encroachment and construction of the structures on the riverbank by November 27. The Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a human rights body, filed the petition with the HC following a report published in a national daily under headlined Time to declare Turag dead. During the hearing, Advocate Manzill Murshid, president of HRPB, told the court that the occupiers, who have been filling earth, encroaching and constructing the structures, were violating the HC order. However, the local administration was playing a silent role to protect the river from encroachment, he added. In a landmark verdict, the HC had in 2009 directed the government to demarcate the original boundaries of the Balu, Turag, Buriganga and Shitalakkhya rivers through a special survey committee as per CS (cadastral survey) and RS (revisional survey) records, setting up pillars on the boundaries and constructing walkways on their banks in two year. Following the HC order, the government demarcated boundaries of the rivers and set up pillars on the boundaries of the rivers.