40 acres of WDB land 'grabbed' in Ctg

An influential group has allegedly occupied around 40 acres of land belonging to the Water Development Board (WDB) in Chattogram's Kattali and Halishahar areas, constructing various types of structures and disrupting the land's intended use for forestation.

According to WDB documents obtained by The Daily Star, the occupied land now houses a stadium, truck terminals, vehicle garages, and residential buildings.

The list of alleged encroachers includes former Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) mayor Mohammad Manjur Alam, his nephew and former member of parliament Didarul Alam, former CCC councillor Nisar Uddin Ahmed Manju, Abu Hashem, and several others.

During a recent visit to the area, this correspondent observed that a mini stadium -- formerly named Sheikh Russel Mini Stadium -- was constructed in 2021 on WDB land acquired by the agency in 1970. Truck terminals and garages were also seen on adjacent land.

Jamal Uddin, a local garage owner, said the lands along the Patenga Outer Ring Road gradually turned into truck terminals and garages after the road opened in 2022, as port-centric traffic increased along the route.

As per the WDB list, former mayor Manjur Alam built a mini stadium, former Awami League lawmaker Didarul Alam allegedly occupied seven acres to establish a vehicle terminal, and former CCC councillor Nisar Uddin Ahmed Manju reportedly constructed vehicle garages on about one acre of land.

Asked about the construction, Manjur Alam said, "I acquired it from the person who was occupying it and built a stadium there for the local youth and teenagers, where anyone could play for free. The facility was completely non-commercial. I did it out of social responsibility to promote sports in the area."

Attempts to contact Didarul Alam and Nisar Uddin for comment were unsuccessful, as their mobile phones were switched off.

Sources said they have been in hiding since August 5, following the fall of Hasina's government.

Sowkat Ibne Sahid, executive engineer of WDB Chattogram, said a list of land grabbers has already been prepared. "Most of the land along the Chattogram city protection embankment and adjacent road has already been occupied. For various reasons, we were previously unable to reclaim these lands. However, the ministry has recently issued directives in this regard," he said.

"We have already taken several steps, including requesting budget allocations for eviction drives and seeking the deployment of executive magistrates. We hope to reclaim these valuable lands soon and bring them back under our control," he added.

Borno Hoque, sub-divisional engineer of WDB, said public announcements are being made via loudspeakers, urging the removal of illegal structures. He said eviction drives will follow and that the WDB plans to plant trees after recovering the land.