Demolish structures along Mayur River

The High Court yesterday directed the authorities concerned to demolish and remove structures of a part of the linear park established inside the land of Mayur River in Khulna.

Mayor of Khulna City Corporation (KCC), which has established the park, and deputy commissioner of Khulna have been asked to comply with the order and to submit a compliance report to the HC in four months.

The HC also directed them to develop the park outside the river, protecting the water-bodies, canals and ponds in the KCC's acquisitioned area properly.

The bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order after hearing two separate petitions filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) seeking necessary orders on the authorities to save Mayur River from encroachment.

HRPB's lawyer Advocate Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star that the DC office of Khulna had earlier submitted a report to the HC as per its order, saying that the KCC has been constructing structures in six places of Mayur River.

Through construction of structures on shores of the rivers are illegal, KCC has acquisitioned a pond and a canal for extending the park, he added.

Advocate MA Gaffar appeared for KCC while Deputy Attorney General Nazmul Ahsan represented the government.