First he crept into, now he is loud and clear

The occupier, who earlier erected a tin-shed structure and continued earth-filling in the restricted area near Nabaganga Regulator in Magura town, put up a signboard there on Thursday, apparently to 'establish' his claim on the land belonging to Water Development Board. bottom, the four-vent regulator.Photo: STAR

The man, who earlier started earth-filling in the restricted area of four-vent Nabaganga regulator near Dhaka road bus stand in Magura town, put up a signboard there on Thursday, apparently to 'establish' his claim on the land belonging to the Water Development Board (WDB).
"This land is bought and owned by Alhaj Rajab Ali Majnu, son of late Abdul Hakim Biswas, and proprietor of Laboni Steel Corner, Syed Ator Ali Road, Magura," reads the signboard.
Majnu could not be contacted as he did not receive the cell phone calls made by this correspondent.
In late September, Majnu, known as an adherent of ruling Awami League, built a tin-shed structure on the land and started earth-filling in the restricted area adjoining the regulator, a key point installation (KPI) of the country.
He continued the callous act although the WDB officials served two notices on October 1 and October 2, asking him to remove the illegal structure.
WDB authorities on October 6 filed a case with Magura Sadar Police Station, accusing Majnu for violating the KPI Act that does not allow any structure within 150 metres of such installation.
As police did not record the case even after 17 days of its filing, Mohammad Faruk Bhuyan, the then executive engineer of Magura WDB, submitted a petition to the deputy commissioner (DC) in Magura on October 23.
On November 5, a team led by the ADC (Revenue) Goutam Chandra Pal and Magura Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Tabibur Rahman measured the land and asked Majnu to refrain from any construction work on the land until submission of the land measurement report to settle the issue.
But 40 days into the measurement, the team is yet to submit the report to the DC for taking action in this regard, said sources in the DC office and WDB.
Meanwhile, after failed attempts to get 'sufficient cooperation' from police and civil administration to remove the structure built on the restricted land adjacent to the four-vent Nabaganga regulator, WDB authorities in Magura on December 6 sought help of the board's Security Cell in Dhaka for protection of the KPI in Magura town on Magura-Dhaka highway, said sources in Magura WDB.
Construction of any structure within 150 metres of the regulator will threaten the KPI and its collapse will disrupt businesses between Benapole land port and capital Dhaka, said the WDB letter signed by Mohammad Lutfur Rahman, executive engineer of Magura WDB.
Besides, it will disrupt road communication between Dhaka and 10 south-western districts and hamper cultivation on about 3,000 hectares of land adjacent to the Nabaganga River, the letter adds.
On contact, ADC Goutam Chandra Pal expressed his ignorance about any signboard on the said land.
He, however, said, "As Majnu had already ignored the instruction of the administration, we will take necessary lawful step after visiting the spot."