Local gangs have erected a host of temporary and permanent structures to shield the lake from view, and are engaged in filling up and constructing buildings on the lake.

The huge lake, which touches Rupnagar Residential area, Arambagh residential area and section 6 of Mirpur, is the maiden retention lake for handling floods in the area.

Sadat Mollah (not his real name), 52, a local, said that even few years ago the lake was visible from any surrounding road. Now, visitors wishing to reach the lake have to squeeze through the little alleys between the many structures choking its banks.

"I think within few more years the lake will vanish completely. You can see every thing around the lake now, orphanage, mosque, garment factories, commercial institutions, slum, but not the lake," a frustrated Sadat said.

He added that the lake retains rainwater from a huge area of Mirpur and if it is filled up, the whole of Rupnagar would suffer from water logging and floods.

One of the occupiers, who constructed shops on the lake, admitted that while taking possession of the land he bought some documents over land rights, but later found those documents were false.

"Then I tried to make genuine papers from the NHA and finally got allotment. It is now mine," he said.

Nuraniya Kasemul Ulum Madrasa occupies a huge portion of the Rupnagar side of the lake. The authority of the institution showed their allotment documents to this correspondent.

Concerning the allotment documents of the religious institution, Nurul Islam, executive engineer of the Dhaka division-1 of NHA said, "The orphanage of the madrasa could be authorised. I saw their documents. I don't know how the allotment proceedings took place."

He said that the Dhaka Division-1 has already recommended NHA higher authority to conduct eviction drive against the unauthorised encroachments at the lake.

According to the law wing of the NHA Dhaka division-1, the 24-acre lake was acquired through Land Accusation case no- 90-65/66 and Land Accusation case no-5-72/73.

The government developed the areas around the lake and allotted it to people of various classes at various times, including low and middle income people.

A lawyer of the NHA, wishing to remain anonymous, said, "Later some groups claimed land rights over the lake and a writ case on this matter is still pending at the Supreme Court. What I know is that within the lake, no one was allotted plots because the lake was kept as an open water body for the area."

These land grabbers often resort to filing cases to maintain possession of a plot after encroaching on it, he said.