Protect Turag, Buriganga

The High Court yesterday issued further directives upon the authorities concerned to protect the Turag and Buriganga rivers from grabbers as construction of illegal structures and earth-filling continue at some points despite several similar directives.
The HC directed four government high officials to stop all kinds of encroachment and earth-filling on these rivers.
The court ordered them to visit in seven days the areas on the Turag and Buriganga where land grabbers are continuing earth-filling.
The officials are the chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), the director general of the Directorate of Environment, the deputy commissioner of Dhaka and the commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
The division bench of Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Quamrul Islam Siddiqui also directed them to submit a report to the HC through its registrar within seven days after visiting the areas.
The HC bench came up with the directives upon a petition filed by advocate Manzil Murshid on behalf of rights organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).
The court fixed October 26 for further order on the matter.
During hearing of the petition, Murshid told the court that earlier in June the HC in a verdict directed the authorities concerned to protect the Turag, Balu, Shitalakhya and Buriganga from encroachment.
Copies of the judgement were sent to the authorities and the media reported it extensively, he said, but it has been reported in different newspapers that the land grabbers are continuing filling parts of the Turag and Buriganga.
He prayed to the court to direct the authorities again to take action against the encroachers and stop illegal earth-filling there.
Earlier this year, the HC in separate orders directed the government to demarcate the original territories of the Buriganga, Turag, Balu, and Shitalakhya through a survey to restore the rivers to their original conditions.
The court also ordered to stop encroachment, earth-filling and construction of illegal structures on the rivers.