Govt pond being illegally filled to set up shops, bus stand at Bhuapur

Illegally filled up portion of this pond in Bhuapur upazila headquarters is being used for parking buses and setting up shops, as if to perpetuate the illegal occupation. PHOTO: STAR

An influential quarter is filing up a big government owned pond at Bhuapur upazila headquarters in the district and constructed shops and arranged bus parking there.
The quarter having political clout has already filled up one-fourth area of the water body without taking permission from the authorities concerned, sources said.
A few months ago, Bhuapur municipality authorities started dumping wastes on a portion of the pond, jointly owned by Bhuapur Upazila Parishad and Roads and Highways Department, at the upazila parishad premises, local sources said.
Later, several shops were constructed and passenger buses started parking on the filled part of the pond.
Several shop owners seeking anonymity said they constructed the shops there after giving money to the 'brokers' of the municipality and ruling party men.
Tolls are also collected from the passenger buses parked there, locals said.
Asked about the matter, Bhuapur municipality Mayor Masudul Haque Masud said, "Passengers and transport owners and workers suffer due to lack of a bus terminal in the upazila headquarters. As space is not available elsewhere, we have planned to construct a bus terminal at the place of the pond.”
“No one from the municipality is involved in taking money from the shops and for bus parking. I do not know about involvement of others too,” said Masud, also convenor of the upazila unit of Awami League.
Local sources, however, said a big government khas land just beside the municipality building was filled up during the last army-backed caretaker government to construct a bus terminal there. But the transport workers did not show interest to use the place for parking their buses as the place is a bit away from Tangail-Bhuapur Road.
Mohammad Helaluzzaman, upazila nirbahi officer of Bhuapur, said, "The portion of the pond was filled up before I joined the office. The pond was leased for fish farming and none was given permission to fill it up. Now we have decided to construct a wall around the pond and the grabbers will be evicted that time."