Sources said the court led by Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Magistrate Mohammad Munir Chowdhury started recovery of around 164 acres of land owned by Chittagong Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) at North Halishahar near the coast.

During the seven-hour drive the court recovered around 144 acres of land out of 164 acres worth Tk 450 crore. The court would recover the rest of the land soon, sources said.

Chittagong Wasa authorities acquired around 164 acres of land from the erstwhile Pakistan government in 1962 to implement its garbage treatment plant while the then district administration handed it over to Wasa in 1964, sources said.

But locals illegally occupied the land through building different structures, including around 25 fish cultivating farms, 25 poultry farms, houses and shops for the last 43 years while Wasa authorities have been paying revenue every year for the land, said CPA Magistrate Munir.

The court led the drive with the help of three platoons of police from Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) and 70 eviction workers.

A master plan is also being prepared for the implementation of the proposed garbage treatment plant -'Chittagong Wasa Sewerage Project' where the industrial and residential garbage of the city would be dumped through pipelines and would be discharged to the Bay of Bengal after treatment, said the CPA Magistrate.

A temporary Ansar camp was set up while armed Ansar members were deployed for security and maintenance of the land, he added.