Dhaka Zoo reclaims grabbed lands

After recovering 1.22 acres of land from land grabbers last week Bangladesh National Zoo authorities have taken initiatives to set up walls at points that were missing boundaries.

Addressing a press briefing at the ministry's conference room yesterday, Muhammed Sayedul Hoque, fisheries and livestock minister, said that they have recovered the land after around 52 years.

The minister said National Housing Authority had leased 22 decimal of lands to eight plot owners around 15 to 20 years back, though it was not theirs, while the rest were confiscated by the land grabbers.

"NHA had no right to give the lease… We have asked them to bring documents before the drive but they had failed to do so," he added.

The minister said there were 13,013 feet of boundary walls and rest 5,355 feet had no boundaries for which animals and fishes were unprotected. He said they have already given the order to a construction firm to set up the boundaries. Around 186.63 acres of land belonged to Bangladesh National Zoo and the two additional acres of land, which was still confiscated by land grabbers, will also be recovered, he assured. He said with a budget of Tk 25 crore they will do some internal works like constructing roads, setting up toilets and some other works and take on a project to modernise the zoo soon.