Retired govt official builds house on canal
A former government official is building a three-storey building, allegedly by grabbing a portion of Algee canal at Baufal upazila town.
Belayet Hossain, former upazila assistant agriculture extension officer, started construction work of the building by allegedly occupying around 10 feet of the canal near Baufal Police Station.
On a recent visit to the spot, this correspondent found some workers engaged in the construction of the building and about 10 feet of the canal had been grabbed.
“Two local residents, Shamsul Haque and Abdul Haque, took the land on lease many years ago, and I bought 16.80 decimals of the land from their heirs two years ago. I am constructing the building on that land,” Belayet said.
“I also took approval to build it from Baufal municipality,” he claimed.
Md Azizul Haque, a local resident, said big launches and cargo boats used to pass through the canal a few years ago, but now it has became so narrow that it is about to die as local people are occupying both banks day by day.
If grabbing continues like this the canal will disappear, he said.
Baufal Municipality Assistant Engineer Md Atiqul Islam said there is no scope for getting permission to build a permanent structure on the canal.
“We did not give any approval in the matter,” he added.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Pijus Chandra Dey said steps will be taken after investigation.
Nobody will be allowed to grab the canal, he added.
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