Published on 08:51 PM, March 21, 2018

Remove embankment on Padma river immediately: HC

A man stares at a cargo boat carrying sand on the Padma near Rajshahi Cadet College in Charghat upazila, some 20km off the city. Unplanned and illegal dredging by some influential sand traders is leading to erosion of the river banks and damage to Rajshahi Town Protection Embankment. Photo: Star files/Anwar Ali

The High Court today directed the government to immediately remove the embankment built on the Padma River at Shiloiunion under Munshiganj for collecting tolls from transports.

It also directed the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Munshiganj to take steps to enquire who are involved in constructing the embankment and collecting tolls and submit a probe report before this court, Deputy Attorney General SM Moniruzzaman told The Daily Star.

At the same time, the court issued a rule asking the authorities concerned of the government to explain in four weeks why collection of tolls from the transports by constructing embankment on the Padma River should not be declared illegal.

The bench of Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir came up with the order and rule on a suomoto (voluntary) move following a report under a headline “Abar Khal Khanan (Further canal digging) published on the Bangla daily Samakal along with a photo of building embankment yesterday, DAG Moniruzzaman added. 

Advocate Munshi Moniruzzaman placed the newspaper report before the HC bench for necessary order.