IGP gets 48hrs to save Turag

The High Court yesterday directed the inspector general of police to stop within 48 hours earth filling and encroachment on the Turag river.
The HC also directed the authorities concerned to take effective steps to protect the Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Shitalakhya from grabbers until the ongoing cadastral survey of the rivers is completed as per its previous orders.
Some video footage on illegal earth filling, encroachments and extraction of sand by dredging at several points of the rivers was submitted to the HC recently.
An HC bench comprised of Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Quamrul Islam Siddiqui came up with the directives after hearing a petition filed by the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), and reviewing government reports on the rivers, and video footage, a lawyer said.
The HRPB stated in the petition that construction of illegal structures and earth filling are continuing at some points despite similar directives in the past.
HRPB lawyer and its President Manzil Murshed told The Daily Star that they had submitted to HC the video footage, and some government officials submitted reports stating that earth filling and encroachments at some points of the rivers continued.
Manzil said the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner in his report said he cannot take action against those violating the HC directives since they are doing the illegal work in Savar area, which is beyond his jurisdiction.
On October 8, upon the petition filed by the HRPB, the HC directed the director general of the Directorate of Environment, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Chairman and Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka to visit the Turag and Burigranga rivers and submit to it a report within seven days. They complied with the court order, Manzil said.
Earlier this year, the HC in separate orders had asked the government to demarcate the Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Shitalakhya through a survey to restore the original condition of the rivers.
The court also ordered stopping encroachments, earth filling and construction of illegal structures on those.
As per the directives, the authorities are now conducting cadastral survey for demarcating the rivers.