BIWTA knocks down 27 shops at Sadarghat
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) yesterday demolished 27 illegal shops near old terminal of Sadarghat yesterday.
The eviction drive began around 9am in compliance with a High Court order, AKM Arif Uddin, joint director of Dhaka River Port, told the Daily Star.
“We have conducted the drive as part of modernising the Sadarghat terminal, and these structures were becoming obstacles to our work,” said Arif.
He said with the eviction of the shops, pollution in the front side of the terminal will now stop.
Arif requested launch passengers to carry their own food and water while entering the terminal, and to drop waste into designated garbage bins to keep the river and terminal pollution-free.
In a landmark judgment for conservation of the country’s rivers in 2009, the High Court said a river’s land is to be determined on the basis of CS and RS land records.
BIWTA insiders said a pattern of river grabbing has been observed in all rivers of the country. The river grabbers “manage” some title deeds for land of a delta which is larger than the delta itself. They then fill up portions of the river around the delta skillfully and alter the natural course and character of the river and its foreshores.
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