Save Bakkhali River from encroachment

It's alarming to learn that illegal structures have sprouted again on the banks of Bakkhali River in Cox's Bazar, mere months after an eviction initiative. On February 28 and March 1, around 200 structures, particularly around the much-coveted Kuruskul bridge, were demolished. Despite accusations that the drive targeted only two of 131 listed encroachers, and was mostly a publicity stunt, the authorities have failed to safeguard even those reclaimed riverine stretches, according to a report in this daily. This brazen display of defiance and incompetence underscores the continued threat to the river's ecological integrity.

The Bakkhali River, originating from the mountainous terrain of Naikhongchhari upazila in Bandarban and falling into the Maheshkhali channel in Cox's Bazar, is one of the major rivers traversing through the Bandarban and Cox's Bazar region. However, over the decades, it has been ravaged by a relentless onslaught of encroachment. Many structures—from makeshift docks, cold storages and fishing stations to fish and dried fish farms, truck stops, sand sales points, and residences—were constructed by destroying even vast areas of artificial coastal forests. There were also disturbing reports of forests being deliberately set ablaze to clear land for illegal construction. In 2013, even the local municipality joined in by dumping garbage along the riverbanks, further impeding the natural flow of the river.

In 2020, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) identified 131 individuals and organisations as river occupiers, many of whom evaded legal action. They didn't even have to relinquish their encroached land. Additionally, in a 1990 survey, a number of people were somehow enlisted as private owners of what is clearly riverland, an issue that remains unresolved to this day. In 2016, the High Court ordered the district administration to hand over 270 acres of land to the BIWTA for conservation; this order has yet to be implemented, with allegations of money influencing the situation.

It is hard to believe that the blatant encroachment of the Bakkhali River is happening under the nose of the district administration and the National River Conservation Commission. The rapid re-emergence of encroachment on previously evicted lands suggests either a glaring failure of monitoring and enforcement, or an intentional disregard for the law. We strongly urge the authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly and take immediate action to reclaim Bakkhali River land from the encroachers.