5 illegal set-ups in Kuakata get eviction notice

Owners of these two hotels and three other business establishments, illegally built on the government's khas land in Kuakata sea beach area of Patuakhali district, have received notice from the district administration to dismantle the structures within seven days. PHOTO: STAR

The district administration has served eviction notice to the owners of five business establishments near the Zero Point in Kuakata sea beach as those were illegally built, occupying government's khas land.

The notices, signed by Patuakhali Deputy Commissioner Amitav Sarker on November 2, reached the owners of Hotel Sea Queen, Shad Restora, Hotel Taj, Sikder Market, and Hotel Sunflower on Wednesday.

They have been asked to remove the structures, all situated outside the flood control embankment, within seven days.

Patuakhali district administration took the step following a letter given by Patuakhali Public Works Department (PWD) on October 2.

"To protect the beach, we are taking lawful action against those who built illegal structures occupying government land," said Kamruzzaman, executive engineer of Patuakhali PWD.

On September 30 this year, Patuakhali district administration demolished over 100 illegal structures on the beach, sources said, adding that earlier the district administration imposed ban on selling and buying of all kinds of land in Kuakata, Latachaplee, Char Chaplee, Kawar Char and Gongamoti moujas in the area.

District administration issued such order as per instruction from the Office of the Prime Minister on May 20 in 2012, PWD sources said.

The High Court (HC) on June 3 in 2011 directed the authorities concerned to immediately remove all structures from Kuakata sea beach, and submit a report. It also asked them to take necessary steps to stop encroachment, earth filling and construction of structures on the beach.

The HC directive came following a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh on the basis of a report headlined "Realtor faces eviction case in Kuakata" in the June 1, 2011 issue of The Daily Star.