HC wants probe report on illegal structures on Turag
The High Court (HC) yesterday directed the chief judicial magistrate of Gazipur to probe if illegal structures along the foreshore of the Turag river in Kamarpara area of the district had been demolished.
The court also asked the magistrate to submit a probe report before it in this regard by March 1.
The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah came up with the order while hearing a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).
In compliance with an earlier HC order, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) submitted a report before the court yesterday, saying that the structures constructed by nine organisations in the river had already been removed.
But HRPB lawyer Manzill Murshed told the HC that it seemed from the pictures submitted by the BIWTA that there might be some illegal structures in the river and land grabbing might be still going on there.
Earlier on November 9 last year following the writ petition, the HC directed the government to stop earth filling, encroachment and construction of structures along the foreshores of the Turag river within 48 hours and submit a report before it after complying with the order.
The court issued a rule upon the government authorities concerned to explain as to why their inaction to stop such activities should not be declared illegal.
HRPB submitted the petition on November 7 after a report headlined “Time to declare Turag dead” was published on The Daily Star on November 6.
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